'Fireworks' expected in Jack Smith hearing: expert

Former special counsel Jack Smith is set to face off against the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, and already legal experts are warning that there will be "fireworks."

Speaking to CNN ahead of the hearing, legal analyst Elliott Williams noted Smith's prepared remarks, released to Politico. The statement stands behind his decision to prosecute Trump and that doing anything else would be “shirk[ing] my duties as a prosecutor and a public servant.”

“I made my decisions without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election,” Smith plans to say. “President Trump was charged because the evidence established that he willfully broke the very laws that he took an oath to uphold.”

Williams said that this hearing is another example of relitigating the 2020 election and the investigations into Trump. The two parties clearly see the matter "very, very differently."

"As we all know now, what is fascinating about all this is that this is a public hearing at all," Williams continued. "You know it, as you might know, as viewers might know, Jack Smith was the one pushing to have the hearing be public, which is quite remarkable. Typically, it is not the witness who wants the public hearing, but Congress that does. So, it can make a big show about it. So expect a lot of fireworks today."

Williams said he'll be listening to how they debate the phone records issue. Smith obtained what is called "toll records," which show a phone number, calls to it, and how long they last. Republicans have complained that they were "wiretapped," which Smith has said is inaccurate. A judge authorized the warrant to obtain the records.

"Now,it is a painfully common tacticin investigations to seek themetadata of information ofpeople who are on the receivingend of phone calls from someonebeing investigated. There's no secret that Jack Smith was investigating Donald Trump, and he placed calls to senators. Hadhe called democratic senators,those records would have beenswept in as well. Simple to explain,explain," said Williams.

"Now, it's very easyfor supporters of the presidentor, you know, some of themembers on Capitol Hill to saythat senators were being spiedon. That's a talking point thatpeople hear. And that's not quite what happened," Williams clarified. "I'mreally looking forward to howaggressively that gets pushed by Republicans, but also howclearly and cleanly Jack Smith can explain."

He noted that the members can have their disagreements with the investigation, but when it comes to the warrant for the toll records, there's "nothing to see here."

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