- Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt attempted to discredit special counsel Jack Smith during a congressional hearing by claiming Smith attended an Atlanta Hawks game with prosecutor Fani Willis .
- The blunder resulted from a mix-up between the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and the Iowa Hawkeyes women's college basketball team, which Smith had actually attended in Maryland.
- Prior to the blunder, Schmitt had sought Justice Department material that might establish a link between the two investigations, sources told MS NOW . Schmitt was later given access to text messages related to Smith. But committee staff “explicitly warned Schmitt's team that the texts were unvetted and that it was their responsibility to verify the information,” the outlet reported.
- Despite the mix-up, Schmitt accused Smith of perjury and labeled him a villain, prompting criticism from Democrats for failing to verify facts before launching attacks.
- The hearing followed the dismissal of federal cases brought against Donald Trump after his 2024 presidential election victory.
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