Editorials & Other Articles

Uncle Joe

(64,156 posts) Wed Dec 31, 2025, 06:16 PM 21 hrs ago

Jack Smith told House committee he had 'proof beyond reasonable doubt' in cases against Trump

Ex-special counsel testified in front of judiciary committee about aborted federal prosecution of Donald Trump

(snip)

Smith authored a report into his prosecutions, and the portion covering the election interference case was released prior to Biden leaving office. However, Cannon has barred the chapter discussing the classified-documents charges from being made public, though Democrats on the judiciary committee have asked her to reverse her decision.

At the outset of the hearing, an attorney for Smith, Peter Koski, told the committee the former special counsel had received an email from the justice department advising him to avoid talking about his evidence in the case because of Cannon’s ruling.

“This restriction significantly limits Mr Smith’s ability to discuss the classified-documents case. Nevertheless, Mr Smith is committed to doing his best to answering questions consistent with the department’s guidance,” Koski said.

In his more-than-eight-hour of testimony, Smith insisted he had no political motivations in indicting Trump, and said he believed “we had proof beyond a reasonable doubt in both cases” that he brought.

(snip)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/jack-smith-house-testimony

5 replies

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Highlight:

Jack Smith told House committee he had 'proof beyond reasonable doubt' in cases against Trump (Original Post) Uncle Joe 21 hrs ago OP

Jack smith in a professional and polite manner BOSSHOG 21 hrs ago #1

This we knew: "he believed 'we had proof beyond a reasonable doubt in both cases' that he brought." Igel 20 hrs ago #2

Sure glad that trump et al don't ever violate court procedures vapor2 19 hrs ago #3

One thing I don't understand... slightlv 18 hrs ago #4

Because Judge Eileen Cannon put an injunction against the release. Uncle Joe 18 hrs ago #5

BOSSHOG

(44,670 posts)

1. Jack smith in a professional and polite manner

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Wed Dec 31, 2025, 06:21 PM

21 hrs ago

Has gone medieval on trumps ass. BY TELLING THE TRUTH.

Igel

(37,332 posts)

2. This we knew: "he believed 'we had proof beyond a reasonable doubt in both cases' that he brought."

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Wed Dec 31, 2025, 07:09 PM

20 hrs ago

Otherwise he'd have violated court procedures and judicial ethics and show contempt for the court and the judge.

vapor2

(3,684 posts)

3. Sure glad that trump et al don't ever violate court procedures

Reply to Igel (Reply #2)

Wed Dec 31, 2025, 08:12 PM

19 hrs ago

slightlv

(7,435 posts)

4. One thing I don't understand...

Reply to Uncle Joe (Original post)

Wed Dec 31, 2025, 08:59 PM

18 hrs ago

we are finally getting the part about Jan 6, which is vital to understanding the ongoing coup against the United States. That is treason, by any measure. A most serious charge that has resulted in the death penalty when we've taking these types of things seriously.

But why is the Classified Documents portion being treated so differently? How could it be any worse than what was released about Jan 6th? Why try to continue to hide and suppress it? My god... what has he done to the country... to us? Many of us believed if he got back into office again we would become basically a satellite state of Russia. Is there proof in there that details that's exactly what he did to us?

Uncle Joe

(64,156 posts)

5. Because Judge Eileen Cannon put an injunction against the release.

Reply to slightlv (Reply #4)

Wed Dec 31, 2025, 09:05 PM

18 hrs ago

Last edited Wed Dec 31, 2025, 09:49 PM - Edit history (1)

Judge Blocks Release of Special Counsel’s Report in Trump Classified Documents Case

Knight Institute says there is no legitimate reason for suppressing the report and will appeal

December 22, 2025

FORT PIERCE, Fla.—Judge Aileen Cannon today rejected an effort by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University to compel the release of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report about President Trump’s alleged unlawful retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after he left office in 2021. The court also declined to lift an injunction prohibiting the Department of Justice from releasing the report.

“This is an extraordinarily significant report about one of the most important criminal investigations in American history,” said Scott Wilkens, senior counsel at the Knight First Amendment Institute. “There is no legitimate reason for the report’s continued suppression and the First Amendment requires its release. We will appeal this ruling.”

In February, the Knight Institute filed a motion to intervene in the case arguing that the public has a First Amendment right to review the report, which concerns allegations of grave criminal conduct by the nation’s highest-ranking official. In September, the Institute asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to compel Judge Cannon to rule on its motion to intervene, which had been pending for more than six months. On November 3, the appeals court found that the lower court had unduly delayed its ruling on the motion and said that it would hold the Knight Institute’s petition for 60 days with the expectation that Judge Cannon would issue a ruling within that time frame. That period was set to expire on January 2, 2026.

https://knightcolumbia.org/content/judge-blocks-release-of-special-counsels-report-in-trump-classified-documents-case

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