During a high-stakes Senate hearing on September 29, Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) accused former special counsel Jack Smith of perjury. The accusation stemmed from a line of questioning regarding Smith’s whereabouts on February 3, 2024, which quickly unraveled into a mix-up involving professional and collegiate basketball teams.
The exchange occurred while lawmakers questioned Smith about his past investigations and prosecutions involving Donald Trump. Schmitt pressed Smith on whether he had attended a professional basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks on February 3, 2024. The date coincided with public news regarding Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
The Confrontation and Perjury Accusation
When asked about the Atlanta NBA game, Smith appeared visibly confused. He stated he had no recollection of attending such an event or visiting Atlanta during his time as special counsel, aside from standard airport transit.
Schmitt suggested that Smith might have been meeting with Georgia state prosecutors involved in the separate election interference case against Trump. Staff behind the Missouri Republican briefly displayed a poster. This poster purportedly showed text messages among team members placing someone in Atlanta for the Warriors-Hawks game. However, the visual aid was removed within seconds, and Schmitt declined to display it again during the session.
“I think you’ve already perjured yourself,” Schmitt told Smith, calling him “a total dirtbag” and accusing him of weaponizing the Department of Justice.
Clearing Up the Basketball Mix-Up
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) intervened to ensure Smith had an opportunity to respond to the severe accusation. Smith clarified that while he had not attended an Atlanta Hawks game, he did attend a University of Maryland basketball game on that exact date. He was there to watch star player Caitlin Clark and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.
Klobuchar pointed out the apparent confusion between the teams during the hearing. “People should have their facts straight before they accuse someone of being a dirtbag, and not get the teams wrong,” Klobuchar said.
Outside the Capitol following the hearing, reporters confronted Schmitt about the error. The senator defended his line of questioning. He stated he asked about a basketball game and noted that the only NBA game tipping off at that time was in Atlanta. Despite video evidence placing Smith at the Maryland-Iowa women’s basketball game, Schmitt maintained that he was simply asking questions to gather facts.
