During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) attempted to link former special counsel Jack Smith to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis by alleging Smith attended an NBA game in Atlanta on Feb. 3, 2024. Schmitt claimed this could indicate improper coordination between the two prosecutors, who separately investigated President Donald Trump.
However, Smith denied attending any NBA game in Georgia that day, stating he instead watched the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team play in Maryland. Schmitt’s allegation relied on texts that did not reference any basketball team names, according to a report. The senator’s office later acknowledged the confusion, with Schmitt’s team stating he had been informed the texts did not contain team names.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) publicly corrected Schmitt during the hearing, pointing out the mix-up between the Atlanta Hawks and the Iowa Hawkeyes. The exchange drew attention to the broader Republican-led hearing, titled “Oversight of Jack Smith’s Abuse of Authority and the Targeting of Republicans and Related Matters.” Smith, who led the federal investigations into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his retention of classified documents, defended his work, stating, “Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in serious crimes against our nation.”
Schmitt had sought Justice Department materials to establish a link between Smith and Willis, who is prosecuting Trump in Georgia. The request followed Republican senators’ broader efforts to scrutinize Smith’s handling of the Trump investigations ahead of the 2024 midterm elections. Ahead of the hearing, Schmitt’s office had been warned that the facts underpinning his claim were “unvetted,” according to a report.
The hearing, chaired by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), aimed to recast Smith as the subject of a politically motivated probe. Republicans have repeatedly criticized Smith’s work, with some alleging it amounted to a “witch hunt” against Trump and his allies. Smith, who has not been charged with any wrongdoing, has maintained that his investigations were conducted independently and based on evidence.
The incident underscored the partisan tensions surrounding the Trump-related prosecutions, with Democrats defending the integrity of the investigations and Republicans continuing to challenge their legitimacy. No further action has been taken regarding Schmitt’s claim, and Smith’s denial remains unchallenged by available evidence.