Jack Smith Tells Congress Trump Is Seeking Revenge for Probe

Jack Smith, former US special counsel, during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington on Jan. 22.Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg

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By Chris Strohm

January 22, 2026 at 4:43 PM UTC

Updated on

January 22, 2026 at 10:13 PM UTC

The former Justice Department official who secured indictments against Donald Trump told lawmakers that the president is unfairly seeking retribution against prosecutors and FBI agents who worked on his investigations.

“President Trump has sought to seek revenge against career prosecutors, FBI agents and support staff, simply for having worked on these cases,” former Special Counsel Jack Smith said during his first time testifying publicly about his sweeping investigations. Smith brought charges against Trump for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election and mishandling classified information.