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dalton99a

(91,767 posts)
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 01:32 PM Wednesday

Jack Smith tells lawmakers his team developed 'proof beyond a reasonable doubt' against Trump

https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-congress-justice-department-d35557d525fcfe51a20d08c6abb7f71d

Jack Smith tells lawmakers his team developed ‘proof beyond a reasonable doubt’ against Trump
By ERIC TUCKER and LISA MASCARO
Updated 9:51 AM CST, December 17, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers in a closed-door interview on Wednesday that his team of investigators “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that President Donald Trump had criminally conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election, according to portions of his opening statement obtained by The Associated Press.

He also said investigators had accrued “powerful evidence” that 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.”

...

29 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Jack Smith tells lawmakers his team developed 'proof beyond a reasonable doubt' against Trump (Original Post) dalton99a Wednesday OP
GO JACK! FalloutShelter Wednesday #1
It's a judicial coup- impeach the evildoers Blues Heron Wednesday #2
Repubs will rue the day they reopened THIS can of worms. NCDem47 Wednesday #3
No they wont ScratchCat Wednesday #4
I'd assume Smith anticipated that possibility, not so sure the Republican morons thought through NoMoreRepugs Wednesday #8
Might this be referring to Jim Jordan? Seinan Sensei Wednesday #11
How much you wanna bet on that? Wiz Imp Wednesday #12
Right. H2O Man Wednesday #16
That didn't work for Comey. MorbidButterflyTat Wednesday #21
Got that right orangecrush Wednesday #6
Absolutely! H2O Man Wednesday #15
One day all the evidence will surface C_U_L8R Wednesday #5
Do it! Prosecute him like there's no tomorrow! calimary Wednesday #7
But we're supposed to believe he didn't do it for this last election Irish_Dem Wednesday #9
ReTrumplicans think..... SergeStorms Wednesday #10
Kicked and recommended Uncle Joe Wednesday #13
"" AllaN01Bear Wednesday #14
Does that do Faux pas Wednesday #17
What a surprise! I'm shocked I tell you! Shocked! Fil1957 Wednesday #18
If not for spineless Garland, TCF would be in a supermax sentenced to at least 100 years just on the documents case JT45242 Wednesday #19
Reality Winner demands JUSTICE. Justice matters. Thursday #29
Waaaaaaaaaaaay Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Kid Berwyn Wednesday #20
You nailed it malaise Thursday #27
Who has possession of the evidence? Jean-Luc Wednesday #22
Behind closed doors. GOP will drop this right quick. Down the memory hole. 617Blue Wednesday #23
Supposedly he knows the reason Trump kept the documents. Wonder if we'll find THAT out Callie1979 Wednesday #24
Stay safe Jack! kimbutgar Wednesday #25
Can't wait until Jack malaise Thursday #26
I'm all for Jack Smith, but of course he said that... malthaussen Thursday #28

ScratchCat

(2,664 posts)
4. No they wont
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 01:54 PM
Wednesday

By Monday morning at the absolute latest, Jordan will make a criminal referral to the DOJ for perjury. 100% chance. DOJ will find someone who will lie to a grand jury and obtain an indictment for perjury. They already decided this up-front months ago. This is just a charade to use to make their criminal referral that Trump has already demanded for Jack Smith.

NoMoreRepugs

(11,776 posts)
8. I'd assume Smith anticipated that possibility, not so sure the Republican morons thought through
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 02:28 PM
Wednesday

what could happen during discovery.

Seinan Sensei

(1,318 posts)
11. Might this be referring to Jim Jordan?
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 02:52 PM
Wednesday

The same Jim Jordan, who once was issued a lawful subpoena, in May 2023?

“Compliance for thee, but not for me”

Wiz Imp

(8,661 posts)
12. How much you wanna bet on that?
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 02:54 PM
Wednesday

I understand being skeptical, but you're far into conspiratorial nonsense with no evidence. There is ZERO chance of Jack Smith ever being indicted.

H2O Man

(78,495 posts)
16. Right.
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 03:56 PM
Wednesday

That in itself would mean he has full access to his second report. They do not want that. (This is not a good time for weakness posts about worst case scenarios. One grows tired of Chicken Littles saying that the sky is falling.)

C_U_L8R

(48,777 posts)
5. One day all the evidence will surface
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 01:56 PM
Wednesday

And these republicans need to ask themselves
what side they want to be on.

SergeStorms

(19,902 posts)
10. ReTrumplicans think.....
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 02:52 PM
Wednesday

they're going to be able to trip Smith up and admit to illegal or biased treatment of The Big Orange Pig 🐖.
They don't know Jack!

JT45242

(3,808 posts)
19. If not for spineless Garland, TCF would be in a supermax sentenced to at least 100 years just on the documents case
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 04:26 PM
Wednesday

I hope he quoted the agents who said that literally anyone else would have been arrested and locked up immediately.

That level of espionage is literally hundreds of years of sentences and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines just on the sheer volume of highly sensitive classified materials. Add on the obstruction and Mango Mussolini and all his underlings should be in some supermax for treasonous weasels.

Kid Berwyn

(22,692 posts)
20. Waaaaaaaaaaaay Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 04:32 PM
Wednesday


Barbarians at the Gates of Democracy

A mob of domestic terrorists were directed by the President of the United States to Congress in order to stop the counting of the vote by the People. In effect, the executive branch attacked the legislative branch. Donald J Trump is a traitor.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214835602

Jean-Luc

(2 posts)
22. Who has possession of the evidence?
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 08:28 PM
Wednesday

Is it Jack Smith? The FBI? I'm concerned it may be destroyed if it is in the wrong hands.

Callie1979

(1,080 posts)
24. Supposedly he knows the reason Trump kept the documents. Wonder if we'll find THAT out
Wed Dec 17, 2025, 09:28 PM
Wednesday

THAT is what I really want to know.

malthaussen

(18,366 posts)
28. I'm all for Jack Smith, but of course he said that...
Thu Dec 18, 2025, 11:33 AM
Thursday

... he's a prosecutor, they don't bring cases unless they think they can win. Whether a jury of randomly-selected Americans would agree that his case was proved beyond a reasonable doubt was never put to the test.

-- Mal

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