A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
A former Justice Department special counsel is defending two criminal indictments against President Trump and telling lawmakers he won't be silenced by prosecution threats. Here's NPR's Ryan Lucas.
RYAN LUCAS, BYLINE: Jack Smith led the two federal prosecutions of President Trump - one for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, the other for allegedly mishandling classified documents and obstructing justice. Neither case made it to trial before Trump returned to office. Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Smith said politics played no role in his investigation, and he said the decision to bring charges was based on the evidence.
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JACK SMITH: Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in serious crimes against our nation.
LUCAS: If faced with the same facts and evidence today, Smith said, he would make the same decision to prosecute a former president, regardless of party affiliation. The hearing grew heated at times as Republicans took aim at Smith and his team, trying to paint them as political operators out to get Trump and conservatives more broadly. Here's the committee's Republican chairman, Iowa's Chuck Grassley.
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CHUCK GRASSLEY: The Smith election case ultimately wasn't just about Trump. It was about partisan agents and prosecutors mapping out the Republican apparatus.
LUCAS: In one notable back-and-forth, Missouri Republican Eric Schmitt accused Smith of attending an Atlanta Hawks NBA game, suggesting Smith was in the city to coordinate his investigation with local prosecutors who also were investigating Trump. Smith said he had no recollection of it. The Republican senator then accused Smith of perjury and had this message for him.
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ERIC SCHMITT: You will go down as a total dirtbag.
LUCAS: Minutes later, though, it emerged that Smith had gone to a basketball game, but a women's college game in Maryland featuring the Iowa Hawkeyes. Senator Schmitt appeared to have been confused by the similar mascot names. It was a mistake that Democrats pounced on, saying Republicans needed to get their facts straight. Democrats also defended Smith and his team, including from calls from GOP lawmakers for them to be investigated. On that topic, Smith said the rule of law is under threat like never before.
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SMITH: Individuals are threatened with criminal prosecution because they are perceived to have opposed the president.
LUCAS: For his part, Smith said he will not be silenced by such threats - not from the president or anyone else.
Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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