Keeping the Public in the Dark

This is a classic ploy of propagandists, in this case one with 3.9 million followers:

Why do these traitors always get to testify behind closed doors? https://t.co/88irN7lrnt

— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) December 17, 2025

On Wednesday, 12/17/25, former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith told members of the House Judiciary Committee in a closed-door interview

that his team of investigators “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that President Donald Trump had criminally conspired to over the results of the 2020 election, according to portions of his opening statement obtained by The Associated Press.

Smith also said investigators had accrued “powerful evidence” Trump broke the law by hoarding classified documents from his first term as president at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and by obstructing government efforts to recover the records.

 “I made my decisions in the investigation without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 election,” Smith said. “We took actions based on what the facts and the law required — the very lesson I learned early in my career as a prosecutor.”

 He said that if asked whether he would “prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether the president was a Republican or Democrat.”

The answer to the slick, disingenuous question from the tweeter is: because committee chairperson Jim Jordan subpoenaed Smith before he had a chance to appear in public. Thus,

The deposition before the House Judiciary Committee gave lawmakers of both parties their first chance, albeit in private, to question Smith about a pair of investigations into Trump that resulted in since-abandoned criminal charges between the Republican president’s first and second terms in office. Smith was subpoenaed by the Republican-led committee this month to provide testimony and documents as part of a GOP investigation into the Trump inquiries during the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden.

The former special counsel cooperated with the congressional demand, though his lawyers noted that he had been volunteered more than a month before the subpoena was issued to answer questions publicly before the committee — an overture they said was rebuffed by Republicans. Trump had told reporters that he supported the idea of an open hearing.

In a statement earlier this month, Smith attorney Peter Koski had issued a statement reading

Nearly six weeks ago Jack offered to voluntarily appear before the House Judiciary committee in an open hearing to answer any questions lawmakers have about his investigation into President Trump’s alleged efforts to unlawfully overturn the election results and retention of classified documents. We are disappointed that offer was rejected, and that the American people will be denied the opportunity to hear directly from Jack on these topics.

That part about Trump telling reporters that he supported the idea of an open hearing comes with a huge "however." As explained beginning at 3:56 of the video below, Donald Trump (both as 2024 candidate and as President), has urged Judge Aileen Cannon not to permit release of Volume 2- the stolen documents matter- of the Smith report.

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The point is, as John Oliver would put it, that the former special counsel wants as much information as legally possible to reach the public. Prominent House Republicans and President Trump will do what they can to prevent it. It's a wise move for political preservation.

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