Former Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith addresses the media following the indictment of Donald J. Trump and Waltine Nauta on June 9, 2023. (Photo: U.S. Department of Justice / AP)
By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | December 2025
Smith Outlines “Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith told the House Judiciary Committee in a closed-door deposition on December 17, 2025, that his investigative team had gathered what they considered “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that President Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 election.
Smith said the team also collected evidence showing Trump unlawfully retained classified documents at his Florida estate and obstructed efforts to retrieve them. He stressed that these assessments were “based on facts and law, not politics.”
“Our conclusions were guided by evidence and statute, not partisanship,” Smith said, according to members present for the deposition.
Pressure Campaign and January 6 Violence
In his remarks, Smith revisited findings from the election interference probe, which documented Trump’s pressure on officials in battleground states, his attempts to submit alternate elector slates, and his effort to persuade then–Vice President Mike Pence to block certification of the Electoral College vote.
Prosecutors connected those actions to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, where rioters breached the U.S. Capitol, clashed with law enforcement, and caused multiple deaths and injuries.
“The false fraud narrative had direct consequences, culminating in January 6,” Smith told committee members, according to the transcript summary.
Classified Documents at Mar-a-Lago
The separate classified documents investigation alleged that Trump stored sensitive national security materials in unsecured rooms at Mar-a-Lago, including a bathroom, shower, ballroom, storeroom, office, and bedroom.
His longtime aide and personal valet, Waltine Nauta, was charged alongside him for willful retention and obstruction of justice.
Smith clarified that his phrase “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” referred to prosecutors’ evaluation, not a judicial ruling. Neither case reached trial. The election interference prosecutionwas dropped following Department of Justice policy restrictions, while the classified documents case was dismissed after legal rulings on Smith’s appointment authority.
Evidence Still Sealed, Political Reactions Split
Much of the underlying evidence remains sealed. Public filings outline interviews, documents, and investigative steps, but the full record has yet to be released for independent review.
Political debate persists. Republican lawmakers maintain that Smith’s investigations were politically motivated, while Democrats say the deposition underscores the weight of the evidence and the seriousness of the alleged misconduct.
“The public deserves transparency,” one committee member said, “especially given the magnitude of these cases.”
(Sources: AP News, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times)
Related Document
Read the full 2023 indictment here:
Trump and Nauta Federal Indictment (PDF)
Final Note
Jack Smith’s statements point to prosecutorial confidence in the evidence gathered during his tenure. But with both cases dismissed before trial and much of the material sealed, no court has made a finding of guilt. The full extent of Smith’s findings remains partly hidden from the public record.
