Lawmaker ups pressure on Jim Jordan to release Jack Smith hearing: 'No reason not to'

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) turned up the heat in his demands for House Republicans to allow the closed-door testimony from former special counsel Jack Smith to be released in a post on Wednesday morning.

Smith was in charge of the federal prosecutions of President Donald Trump for the 2020 election conspiracy plot, and for the hoarding of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, both of which were brought to a halt by Trump's re-election to the presidency.

Goldman, addressing House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH), responded to a letter from Smith's own legal team, urging that his testimony be made public so that it cannot be manipulated or ignored.

"Mr. Smith respectfully requests the prompt public release of the full videotape of his deposition," stated the letter. "Doing so will ensure that the American people can hear the facts directly from Mr. Smith, rather than through second-hand accounts. We also reiterate our request for an open and public hearing. During the investigation of President Trump, Mr. Smith steadfastly followed Justice Department policies, observed all legal requirements, and took actions based on the facts and the law. He stands by his decisions."

"I was there. There is no reason not to release the video and transcript," wrote Goldman, himself a former prosecutor who worked on the impeachment proceedings against Trump in his first term. "If @Jim_Jordan refused Jack Smith’s request for a public hearing — like every other Special Counsel — because he allegedly wanted to avoid the 5-minute rule, he got that. Now #releasethetranscript."