Trump was ‘most culpable’ for Jan 6 riot and would have been convicted in court, Jack Smith told Congress in newly released testimony

Smith’s prosecutions of Trump were ended by president’s election victory in 2024

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Donald Trump was “most culpable” for Jan 6 riot and would have been convicted in court, according to the explosive testimony of former special counsel Jack Smith, released Wednesday by the House Judiciary Committee.

Smith led the Justice Department prosecutions into Trump following the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters after he lost the 2020 election, and his alleged concealment of classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

Trump's 2024 election victory essentially ended the DOJ effort to hold him criminally liable.

The House Judiciary Committee, led by Republicans, pledged to investigate the Biden administration and Smith in particular over the two criminal prosecutions of Trump that were launched after Trump left office. Throughout his campaign, Trump argued that he’d done nothing illegal and that the prosecutions were political efforts to punish him and prevent his return to the White House.

Trump faced two separate indictments. He was accused of a criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election and prevent Joe Biden from taking the White House despite his own campaign being unable to prove his allegations of election fraud. The president was also accused of taking a trove of documents including some classified materials from the White House upon his departure in January of 2021.

In the testimony released on Wednesday by the committee, Jack Smith argued that Trump was criminally liable in both cases.

This is a breaking news report. More to follow...

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