What happened Wednesday at the hearing
Former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the House Judiciary Committee as Republicans pressed him about his role in the two prosecutions of President Trump. Smith has led the Miami case about records at Mar-a-Lago and the D.C. case involving January 6. During the session, lawmakers asked routine but pointed questions about who swore him in as special counsel and whether the paperwork and oath were properly completed. Instead of a clear answer he kept saying he could not recall, which drew frustrated reactions from members on both sides of the aisle.
The curious double-oath timeline
Here is the timeline that raised eyebrows. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Smith as special counsel in November 2022, soon after President Trump announced a 2024 campaign. According to committee members, Smith was supposed to be sworn in then. Yet almost a year later Garland is reported to have administered another oath. When Republicans pointed this out, Smith repeatedly said he could not remember who swore him in or when. That is not just awkward for small talk. Federal appointments require an oath of office. The gap and the missing memory leave questions about procedure and record keeping.
Why this matters legally
The oath of office is more than a formality. It is a legal step that confirms authority to act in a federal capacity. If it did not happen correctly, defense lawyers could try to use that point in court to challenge actions taken by the special counsel’s office. Whether those challenges would succeed is a separate legal fight. For now the bigger issue for Republicans is one of trust: if the lead prosecutor cannot recall basic facts about his own appointment, critics will argue the entire process looks sloppy at best and politically driven at worst.
Republicans press, Smith stays vague
When GOP Rep. Lance Gooden and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan asked for specifics, they sought a clear answer about which oath counted. Smith dodged that clarity and kept saying he could not remember. That left committee members looking for records and signatures instead of getting a simple recollection. The exchange was short on detail and long on one phrase: could not recall. For voters who want accountability and transparency, this is the kind of hearing sound bites are made of.
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