Schmitt’s Hawks allegation meets Smith’s account of Iowa game

Sen. Eric Schmitt questioned former special counsel Jack Smith at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about an alleged Atlanta Hawks basketball game, then accused him of perjury. Smith said he recalled attending a different game in Maryland: a University of Iowa women’s basketball game against the University of Maryland. The exchange turned on the apparent confusion between the Atlanta Hawks and Iowa Hawkeyes, but the displayed messages’ full context and what they established remain unclear. Schmitt said he had text messages indicating Smith was in Atlanta on February 3, 2024, for a game involving the Hawks and Golden State Warriors. He asked whether Smith had been in Atlanta or met Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis or special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Smith denied attending an Atlanta Hawks game and said he did not recall being in Atlanta at that time. Schmitt briefly displayed a poster board with screenshots of messages, warning Smith to be careful not to perjure himself and then saying he believed Smith already had.