Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his decision to charge Donald Trump over efforts to overturn the 2020 election during a public House judiciary committee hearing.

Smith said no one is above the law and argued the evidence required Trump to be held accountable, rejecting claims that the prosecutions were politically motivated.

He explained that the cases were dropped only because Trump was elected to a second term, citing legal precedent barring prosecution of a sitting president.

Republicans focused on Smith’s use of phone toll records involving Trump and lawmakers, which Smith said were necessary to establish a timeline and prevent obstruction of justice, The Guardian has reported.

Smith also said Trump bore primary responsibility for the January 6 Capitol riot, calling the violence foreseeable and driven by Trump’s actions.