Former U.S. President Donald Trump and his attorney Todd Blanche at the Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Pool via REUTERS)
Smith brought charges against Trump in both cases, but they were ultimately dropped after Trump's re-election, in keeping with longstanding Justice Department guidance.
Smith resigned shortly after Trump's election to a second term in 2024.
But Smith said Thursday that he had no second thoughts about the actions he took as special counsel, stressing that the decisions that were made with regard to political party and in keeping with longstanding Justice Department policies.
The hearing became acrimonious at times, as House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and other Republicans grilled Smith over certain decisions he made.
FBI OUSTS FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, AGENT INVOLVED IN J6 PROSECUTIONS, WITH MORE EXPECTED
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, listens as Attorney General Merrick Garland appears before a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Trump said "everybody now knows that" the 2020 election was "rigged," and vowed that "people will soon be prosecuted for what they did." He did not immediately elaborate.
Still, Smith sought to impart on the panel his belief that the special counsel prosecutors had built a strong case against Trump.
"We observed legal requirements and took actions based on the facts and the law," Smith said, saying the decisions were made "without regard to President Trump's political association."
He also lamented the ousting of FBI agents and Justice Department officials, including members of the special counsel who he said have been fired or unfairly targeted in Trump's first year back in office.
President Donald Trump delivers a special address during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on Jan. 21, 2026. The World Economic Forum takes place in Davos from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23, 2026. (Mandel Mgan/AFP Getty Images)
Trump, he said, "has sought to seek revenge against career prosecutors, FBI agents and support staff simply for having worked on these cases."
"To vilify and seek retribution against these people is wrong," Smith said. "Those dedicated public servants are the best of us, and it has been a privilege to serve with them."
Thousands of FBI personnel in February were forced to fill out a sprawling questionnaire asking employees detailed questions about any role they may have played in the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots — ranging from whether they had testified in any criminal trials to when they last participated in investigation-related activity.
In the months since, a handful of personnel involved in the Jan. 6 investigations have been abruptly fired as part of an effort that individuals familiar with the action described to Fox News as an act of "retaliation."
The Justice Department also fired individuals who worked with Smith on the special counsel investigations, as Smith noted Thursday.
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"In my opinion, these people are the best of public servants, our country owes them a debt of gratitude, and we are all less safe because many of these experienced and dedicated law enforcement professionals have been fired," he said.
Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI and other national news. She previously covered national politics at the Washington Examiner and The Washington Post, with additional bylines in Politico Magazine, the Colorado Gazette and others. You can send tips to Breanne at Breanne.Deppisch@fox.com, or follow her on X at @breanne_dep.
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