The House Jan. 6 Committee’s holding its fifth hearing today at 3:00 p.m. ET. It’s the DOJ-centric hearing that got postponed last week.
Follow our live blog here: bit.ly/3zZkemm or this thread for updates 🧵
Follow our live blog here: bit.ly/3zZkemm or this thread for updates 🧵
Who we're hearing from today:
➢ Ex-Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen
➢ Ex-Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue
➢ Steven Engel, the former assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel
➢ Ex-Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen
➢ Ex-Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue
➢ Steven Engel, the former assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel
Today’s session will be led by Rep. Adam Kinzinger and will scrutinize Trump’s attempt to use the federal gov’s top law enforcement agency as a personal weapon in his desperate bid to cling to power after the 2020 election, w/ a special focus on the infamous Jeffrey Clark scheme.
Rep. Thompson says that today’s hearing will focus on Trump’s efforts to enlist federal agencies — most notably, the DOJ — into his effort to stay in power after losing.
Rep. Cheney just drew a line between the last two hearings and today’s.
In her telling, the draft DOJ letter existed in part to prod swing states that Trump had lost to certify the pro-Trump electors as real, instead of the Biden ones.
In her telling, the draft DOJ letter existed in part to prod swing states that Trump had lost to certify the pro-Trump electors as real, instead of the Biden ones.
The letter “indicates that a separate ‘fake’ slate of electors, supporting Donald Trump, has already been transmitted to Washington, D.C.” Cheney said.
“Had this letter been released on official Department of Justice letterhead, it would at falsely informed all Americans…that President Trump concerns were likely very real,” Cheney added.
Former Trump acting attorney general Richard Donoghue and former White House lawyer Eric Herschmann claimed in video testimony that they did not mince words when they spoke to Jeffrey Clark.
“I said, good fucking — excuse me, sorry, fucking a-hole, congratulations, you just admitted your first step or act you would take as attorney general would be committing a felony and violating Rule 6(e),” Herschmann recalled telling Clark.
Donoghue claimed that he pointed out Clark is “not even competent” to serve as attorney general, citing Clark’s lack of experience as a criminal attorney and in conducting a criminal investigations.
Donoghue went on to claim that former White House counsel Pat Cipolllone called Clark’s never-sent draft letter that falsely declared the DOJ had found fraud a “murder-suicide pact” and said that he wanted nothing to do with it.
Former White House lawyer Eric Herschmann recalling what he told Jeffrey Clark who was being considered as a replacement for acting AG Jeff Rosen after Rosen refuted claims of fraud
Former acting deputy attorney General Richard Donoghue testified that he wanted to “cut through the noise” during a Dec. 27, 2020 meeting with Trump by being “very blunt” that the then-President’s bogus claims of election fraud were “simply not true.”
After reiterating that Trump’s claims of massive election fraud lacked credibility, Donoghue noted that although there were “isolated incidents” of fraud, none of them were enough to question the results in any state.
Donoghue then claimed that Trump told him: “Just say it was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the Republican congressmen.”
Committee texts show Rep. Perry urging Meadows to elevate Clark to DOJ leadership
https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1540061951119613952?s=20&t=rDCIi7yz3GVK9-_aWI-NLw
Rep. Cheney gave more info on Ken Klukowski, the Breitbart contributor and attorney who joined the DOJ on Dec. 15.
Cheney said Klukowski worked with Eastman, Trump’s lawyer, before and after he was appointed, offering to brief VP Pence and his team jointly in a 12/28/20 email.
Cheney said Klukowski worked with Eastman, Trump’s lawyer, before and after he was appointed, offering to brief VP Pence and his team jointly in a 12/28/20 email.
“This e-mail suggests that Mr. Klukowski was simultaneously working with Jeffery Clark to draft the proposed letter to Georgia officials to overturn their certified election and working with Dr. Eastman to help pressure the Vice President to overturn the election,” Cheney said.
The this happened: Jan. 6 Select Committee aired video testimony of Sidney Powell claiming that Trump wanted to appoint her to the role of special counsel to investigate election fraud.
On the day that Jeffrey Clark’s hopes of becoming acting attorney general went up in flames, he was in constant contact with the WH, according to call logs obtained by the Jan. 6 Committee.
On the logs, Rep. Kinzinger said, Clark was described as “acting attorney general.”
On the logs, Rep. Kinzinger said, Clark was described as “acting attorney general.”
Ex-Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen testified that Trump asked whether voting machines could be seized.
Rosen said he told Trump that the DOJ saw nothing improper with the machines and that the DHS had looked into the matter as well, who also found nothing wrong with the machines.
Kinzinger then asked about the then-President’s reaction after he was told the DOJ would not seize voting machines. Donoghue testified that Trump was “very agitated” by Rosen’s response.
Former acting deputy attorney general Richard Donoghue testified that he sternly warned Trump about dire consequences if he were to fire Rosen and replace him with Clark. #January6thCommiteeHearings
The six House Republicans that sought pardons in the aftermath of Jan.6 as revealed by former Trump aides in today's #January6thCommiteeHearings:
➢ Andy Biggs
➢ Louie Gohmert
➢ Marjorie Taylor Greene
➢ Matt Gaetz
➢ Mo Brooks
➢ Scott Perry
➢ Andy Biggs
➢ Louie Gohmert
➢ Marjorie Taylor Greene
➢ Matt Gaetz
➢ Mo Brooks
➢ Scott Perry
CORRECTION: Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, testified that she had heard that Marjorie Taylor Greene asked White House counsel’s office for a pardon from Mr. Philbin.
Concluding live testimony from witnesses, Rep. Kinzinger praised the former DOJ officials who testified today for preventing Trump’s “coup” from succeeding.
#January6thCommiteeHearings
#January6thCommiteeHearings
“He was willing to sacrifice our republic to prolong his presidency,” Kinzinger said. “I can imagine no more dishonorable act by a President.”
#January6thCommiteeHearings
#January6thCommiteeHearings
Committee vice chair Cheney told former DOJ officials that their testimony shows how “difficult” it was to realize that Trump “abused your trust.”
“He deceived you. Many will invent excuses to ignore that fact, but that is a fact,” she said. “I wish it weren’t true. But it is.”
“He deceived you. Many will invent excuses to ignore that fact, but that is a fact,” she said. “I wish it weren’t true. But it is.”
Committee chair Bennie Thompson concluded that the panel has “shown the inner workings of what essentially was a political coup.”
#January6thHearings
#January6thHearings
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