House GOP Escalates Fight: Judiciary Committee Subpoenas Jack Smith in Trump Probe Review

WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee has issued a subpoena to former Special Counsel Jack Smith, escalating Republicans’ investigation into how the Department of Justice handled the federal criminal cases previously brought against Donald Trump.

Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) scheduled Smith for a closed-door deposition on December 17, with document production due by December 12, according to multiple reports.

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Republicans say Smith holds “critical information” about DOJ decision-making in the now-dismissed prosecutions, which included charges involving Trump’s handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The committee is also seeking materials tied to investigators’ use of subpoenas and electronic-record requests that swept up lawmakers, political groups, and journalists.

Related: Jim Jordan Opens Investigation Into Special Counsel Jack Smith

Smith’s attorney confirmed he will comply with the subpoena but criticized the committee’s decision to demand private testimony. Smith previously offered to testify publicly, arguing that an open hearing would prevent selective leaks or mischaracterizations of his remarks.

Democrats on the committee blasted the move as politically motivated, framing the subpoena as part of a broader attempt to rewrite the narrative around Trump’s legal exposure following the dismissal of both federal cases earlier this year.

Smith’s deposition will mark a rare moment in which a former DOJ special counsel is compelled to testify before Congress — underscoring the high political stakes surrounding the Trump investigations and the partisan battle over how they were conducted.

The committee has not said whether any portion of Smith’s deposition will be released to the public.