Former Special Counsel Jack Smith defended his investigations into former President Donald Trump during a tense U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, pushing back against accusations from Republican lawmakers that he abused his authority and improperly targeted Republicans.

Smith, who led independent probes into allegations concerning Trump's conduct after his first term, stated that his investigations adhered to Justice Department policy and were driven by evidence. He specifically rejected claims that political considerations influenced his decisions, asserting that his office developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump had "engaged in serious crimes against our nation."

The hearing focused on Smith's investigative methods, with Republican committee members raising concerns about subpoenas that sought phone records from members of Congress and financial information from Republican donors and organizations. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley accused Smith's team of attempting to "map out and target the entire Republican Party."

Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor, was appointed special counsel in 2022. His investigations resulted in two criminal indictments against Trump: one concerning alleged attempts to subvert the 2020 presidential election and another related to Trump's handling of classified documents after leaving office. These were in addition to two other indictments brought separately, one in New York for falsifying business records and another in Georgia concerning efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Only the New York case proceeded to trial, resulting in felony convictions for Trump. The remaining cases were dropped after Trump's re-election in 2024. Smith resigned from his position shortly before Trump's second inauguration in January 2025, as the Justice Department generally has a policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.

Trump has consistently denied all charges and has characterized the investigations as a politically motivated "witch-hunt" orchestrated by former President Joe Biden.

During the hearing, Smith maintained that his office had a responsibility to pursue all evidence relevant to the investigations, regardless of political affiliations or positions. He emphasized that the pursuit of justice was guided by legal principles and factual findings.

The proceedings highlighted the deep partisan divisions surrounding the investigations into Trump, with Republicans questioning the integrity of the special counsel's office and Democrats defending the necessity of the probes to uphold the rule of law.