House Republicans Subpoena Jack Smith Over Trump Prosecutions

The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee officially called former special counsel Jack Smith in for a private interview later this month so they could keep a close eye on his federal cases against Donald J. Trump. Smith asked to appear in public for an open hearing on the same issue weeks ago, but the subpoena was still sent.

Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the head of the committee, wrote a letter on Wednesday telling Smith to give them the papers they need by December 12 and to be at a private deposition on December 17, 2025. The Committee says that Smith, who used to be a Special Counsel, has information that is 'vital' for it to do its job.

Critics say that the requested data, which are said to include case files and communications from Smith's time as the prosecution's chief, are an attempt to learn more about how the investigations work. After accepting the subpoena, Smith agreed to show up for the deposition.

Smith was put in charge of two important federal investigations into Trump when he was hired in 2022. One looked into how Trump handled classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, and the other looked into claims that he tried to rig the 2020 election, including what happened during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

Because of a long-standing rule from the Department of Justice that says a sitting president can't be charged with a crime, both charges were dropped after Trump was re-elected and took office again. Republicans, on the other hand, say that the investigations should be looked into because of choices that are said to be 'politically motivated.'

House Republicans have been pushing for interviews with not only Smith but also members of his investigation team in the last few weeks, particularly after it emerged that the probe examined phone records of some GOP lawmakers. Many Republicans say the disclosures have heightened concerns about potential overreach and abuse of power, arguing that congressional oversight is necessary to ensure the investigation did not improperly target political opponents.

Smith's lawyers fought back, saying that the records that were looked at only had metadata (like call duration, incoming and outgoing numbers, and times) and not the actual content of the calls. They say that the searches were legal and followed DOJ rules.

Peter Koski, Smith's lawyer, said in a statement, 'We are disappointed that the offer was turned down and that the American people will not be able to hear directly from Jack on these issues.'Jack can't wait to meet with the committee later this month to talk about his work and clear up any confusion about his investigation.

Supporters of Smith say that a closed-door hearing goes against the principle of openness, especially since the public is interested in the probes. People who don't like the subpoena say that the action may be more about political theater than fair oversight.

Even though there is no public evidence that Smith plans to refuse to cooperate, legal experts say that if he does not obey the subpoena, he could be charged with contempt of Congress and sent to court.

House Republicans have called Jack Smith to testify because he is prosecuting Donald Trump.

The Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee has called Special Counsel Jack Smith to a closed-door deposition on December 17 and asked him to bring documents related to his prosecutions of former President Donald Trump. Smith had already said he would testify publicly before the committee about the high-profile cases, so this move is surprising.

Smith has agreed to the subpoena. Smith was in charge of federal probes into Trump's handling of secret information and his efforts to rig the 2020 election. His lawyers said that the testimony should be made public to keep things open and honest, and they were against the closed-door approach.