Former Special Counsel Jack Smith defended his decision to prosecute then-former President Donald Trump for his alleged unlawful retention of classified documents and alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. 

Smith arrived on Capitol Hill on Thursday for a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on his role as a Justice Department Special Counsel and his cases against Trump. 

"As I testify before the Committee today, I want to be clear: I stand by my decisions as Special Counsel, including my decision to bring charges against President Trump," Smith said in his opening statement. "Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity. 

Smith made this defense in defiance of House Republicans, who assert Smith was primarily motivated by politics in his prosecution of the former president and Republican presidential candidate. 

“It was always about politics and to get President Trump. They were willing to do just about anything,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said in his opening statement. 

Democrats on the committee, along with Smith, claim that Trump led a hostile insurrection intended to overturn the results of the election.