House committee is investigating January 6 attack on US Capitol focused hearing on thursday on efforts of then President Donald Trump and former Ministry of Justice official Geoffrey Clark put pressure on the agency help cancel the 2020 election results.
Trump wanted to fire Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen who It was just taken over in December 2020, after Attorney General Resignation of Bill Barr became official – and replace it with Clark, environmental lawyer who never been prosecuted criminal case. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who conducted an interrogation on Thursday, said Clark’s only qualification was that “he would do anything the President wanted him to do.”
Clark setting and pressure campaign on The Justice Department has constituted “essentially a political coup,” said committee chairman Rep. Benny Thompson.
In video testimony former This was stated by White House lawyer Eric Hershmann. of Clark what’best I can only say that you know about ecology and elections challenges they are both start with “E.”
Three former Justice Department officials testified before the committee on Thursday – former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and former Assistant Attorney General Steven Engel. Donoghue showed handwritten notes he had taken during call with trump, in which the former The President said: “Just say that the elections were corrupt and leave the rest to me and [Republican] congressmen.”
Jacqueline Martin / AP
Trump’s resolve install Clark as the country’s chief law enforcement officer official it was obvious – January 3, 2021 The White House call the logs shown by the committee were already referring to Clark as acting attorney general. But all deputy prosecutors general threatened to quit if Clark was put in charge of the Justice Department, former Assistant Attorney General Steven Engel, who headed the Office of Legal Counsel, testified on Thursday, and this reality convinced Trump to change his mind.
On Thursday, Donoghue testified that Clark wanted send a letter to the Georgia Legislature from the Justice Department questioning good faith of elections, and move which “could very well have happened in a spiral us into a constitutional crisis” if this plan were allowed forwardDonoghue said.
Since the 2020 election, Trump has relentlessly pushed for the Justice Department to investigate his allegations. of election fraud, even after they have been investigated and debunked. AT one moment when the Department of Justice declined play on conspiracy theory claiming that the Italian satellites switched votes Trump to Biden, Department of Defense made some requests. Donoghue called this theory “absurd”.
Kinzinger said that panel I learned that former Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller dies up attache call in Italy is investigating the claims of the Italian satellite.
Donoghue’s handwritten notes noted that Trump told senior Justice Department officials, “You guys may not follow the internet way I do.”
“It one of in best Examples of What will President Trump go to to stay in powerKinzinger said. support his conspiracy theories.
Meanwhile, CBS News learned that a search had been carried out. of Clark home on Wednesday morning.
Also Revealed on On Thursday, Republican Congressman Matt Goetz and other members of the Republican Party of Congress asked for pardons from the White House, according to recorded reports and recorded testimony former White House aides.
Five days after attack on Capitol Rep. Mo Brooks emailed the White House “as requested by Matt Goetz” recommending the President give blanket “forgives the following groups of people: Every congressman and senator who voted to reject the Electoral College vote representation of Arizona and Pennsylvania”.
Meanwhile, Brooks reacted to the revelation of his request for mercy in text message to CBS News: he said “there were fears that the Democrats would abuse the judicial system by prosecuting and jailing Republicans who acted in accordance with their constitutional or statutory duties under 3 USC 15.”
The committee has no set Dates of in next hearing that Thompson said earlier this week is likely in July.
Ellis Kim contributed to this report.
