Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his decisions to indict President Donald Trump during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

Smith, who led two federal investigations into Trump, told lawmakers that his team developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the president engaged in serious crimes against the nation. He said the charges in the classified documents case and the case related to efforts to challenge the 2020 election results stemmed directly from the evidence.

"I stand by my decisions as Special Counsel, including my decision to bring charges against President Trump," Smith said in prepared remarks. "I made these decisions without regard to President Trump's political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election."

Smith added that he would bring the same charges today based on identical facts whether the former president was a Republican or a Democrat. He also stated he would not be silenced by threats of prosecution from the president or others.

Republicans on the committee, including Chairman Chuck Grassley, questioned Smith about the handling of phone records from members of Congress and accused the investigations of amounting to an abuse of authority and political targeting. Some GOP members have referred Smith for potential prosecution over alleged inconsistencies in prior testimony.

The cases ended after Trump's 2024 election victory, consistent with longstanding Justice Department policy against indicting a sitting president. Smith resigned in January 2025.

Democrats on the panel defended Smith's work as nonpartisan and evidence-based. The hearing highlighted ongoing partisan divisions over the use of federal law enforcement against political figures.