U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, who serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued a statement following Jack Smith’s closed-door testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
Durbin called for greater transparency, stating, “If Senate Republicans and the Attorney General are truly committed to transparency, they’ll allow Jack Smith to testify publicly under oath, as he’s offered. They also must release the unredacted Volume II of his report and any materials not already produced related to Volumes I and II. But they refuse.”
He emphasized that “Mr. Smith is the only person with direct knowledge of decisions and actions taken under his leadership as Special Counsel. If Republicans have so many questions, a transparent means of answering is necessary. Anything less than public testimony under oath is unacceptable.”
Earlier in October, Durbin and other Senate Judiciary Democrats requested that Chairman Grassley permit former Special Counsel Jack Smith to testify publicly before the committee. Their letter also urged Chairman Grassley to ask the U.S. Department of Justice to release Volume II of the unredacted “Final Report of the Special Counsel’s Investigations and Prosecutions,” which was submitted to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in January 2025.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is responsible for reviewing legislation, overseeing federal law enforcement agencies, evaluating judicial nominations, and influencing federal law and civil rights across the nation through its legislative and oversight duties.
