Testifying at a House hearing, Jack Smith said the two federal cases were based on evidence, not politics.

In his remarks, the former special counsel repeatedly denied that he had acted out of partisan animus and bemoaned the Trump administration’s efforts to go after the president’s perceived enemies.

In a piece for MS NOW (then MSNBC) last year, after the first report was released, legal analyst Glenn Kirschner warned that if the second one were buried in perpetuity, it could allow Trump to escape legal consequences after his term is up.

Smith testified behind closed doors last month but returned to the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday for a public hearing.