August 20, 2026 Submitted By Hingham Historic Preservation Committee
The Hingham Historical Commission is pleased to announce Jack Smith, former Special Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice in conversation with Andrew Weissmann, former Assistant United States Attorney as speakers at the 2026 Virginia Tay Memorial Lecture Series on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM at the Old Ship Meeting House, 90 Main Street, Hingham. Smith and Weissmann will be speaking on the Rule of Law in the United States.
As Special Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice, Jack Smith was charged to investigate potential unlawful interference in the transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election. He also investigated the unlawful possession of classified documents and possible acts of obstruction of justice in the Southern District of Florida. Prior to that, Smith was an international war crimes prosecutor in The Hague, during which he prosecuted war crimes that occurred in Kosovo in 1988-2000.
Mr. Smith has held a number of senior positions in the U.S. Department of Justice where he litigated complex cases of public corruption and election crimes throughout the United States and the Eastern District of New York. Prior to this, he was the Assistant District Attorney in the New York County Districts Attorney’s Office where he was a member of the Office’s Sex Crimes and Domestic Violence Units.
Andrew Weissmann is currently a widely respected legal analyst on MS NOW and a Professor of Practice at the New York University School of Law. Mr. Weissman is author of three New York Times bestsellers: Where the Law Ends: Inside the Mueller Investigation and, as co-author, The Trump Indictments, and Liar’s Kingdom: How to Stop Trump’s Deceit and Save America.
Mr. Weissmann served as lead prosecutor in Robert S. Mueller’s Special Counsel’s Office from 2017-2019, and Deputy and then the Director of the Enron Task Force in Washington, D.C., where he supervised the prosecution of more than 30 individuals in connection with the company’s collapse.
Mr. Weissman was also a federal prosecutor for 15 years in the storied Eastern District of New York, where he served as the Chief of the Criminal Division. He prosecuted numerous members of the Colombo, Gambino, and Genovese families, including the bosses of the Colombo and Genovese families.
The Virginia Tay Memorial Lecture series is co-sponsored by the Hingham Historical Commission and Tay’s sister, Mary Anne Donaldson, along with the Town of Hingham. Virginia Tay was active in all facets of historic preservation in Hingham. She served on various historically oriented entities, including serving as Chair of the Hingham Historical Commission, President of the Hingham Historical Society, and Chair of the Hingham Historic Districts Commission. Before her passing, Tay was planning a speaker series that would serve as an educational vehicle for interested South Shore residents. When Donaldson moved to Hingham in 2021, she continued the legacy of her sister’s mission.
This event is free to attend and will be reserved seating only. To reserve a seat, please email taytwin@gmail.com. A return email confirming your reservation will serve as the admission ticket.