Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said a conspiracy case was "very unusual" in structure should raise questions when it results in charges against only President Donald Trump, arguing on Newsmax that prosecutors ordinarily build such cases by starting with lower-level defendants and working upward.
Knott, an attorney and former federal prosecutor, described the approach he attributed to former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith as "very unusual," saying on Newsmax's "Greg Kelly Reports" that "You do not start at the very top," and adding that prosecutors usually build evidence through testimony and records from lower-level participants.
In the interview, Knott said, "For the first time we're seeing what Jack Smith did, how he operated," and claimed Smith "used his microphone to cast a very public narrative that simply was never supported by the facts or the charges brought against the president."
Knott also asserted that the effort was "an endeavor to target one person," and said that person was "obviously President Trump," adding, "we need to prevent that from ever happening again."
A conspiracy, by nature, is an agreement between two or more people to commit an illegal act, with the intent to achieve the goal of the agreement.
The interview followed Smith's appearance at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday, where Smith defended his Trump investigations amid sharp partisan questioning.
Reuters reported that Republicans pressed Smith over his investigative tactics and his appointment, accusing him of political motives, while Smith rejected that characterization and defended his work.
Knott argued that Smith "says it was the greatest crime against our country in decades. And he only charged one person. He, on his own testimony, said there was enough to charge multiple people. Well, why didn't he charge them if he was truly invested in prosecuting this case?"
Knott pointed to the structure of the federal election interference case and he said a prosecutor who believed the case was as sweeping as described would "have prosecuted this case" beyond a single defendant.
"He did not do that," Knott said. "He went after Donald Trump because Donald Trump was on the verge of winning the White House again, and they were working to stop that."
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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