Republican politicians may be summoned by the House of Representatives’ January 6 inquiry into Donald Trump’s efforts to undo his election defeat, a senior Democrat from the committee has suggested.
Maryland Congressman Jamie Ruskin gave his assessment Friday in an interview with the Washington Post’s Early 202, a day after Democratic Party Democrat Chair Benny Thompson of Mississippi announced that a series of public hearings would begin on June 9.
Earlier, Ruskin said the hearings would “blow up the House’s roof” and said in an interview Friday that the public had learned “only a small part” of the information the bipartisan commission had gathered so far about Trump’s conspiracy and the deadly attack. of the Capitol by supporters of the former president.
Jamie Ruskin. Photo: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
Summons to testify from Trump’s allies, who could hold important information, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and right-wing congressional members Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Biebert, are not the group’s preferred path, Ruskin said.
But he warned that if McCarthy, who has failed to respond to a request, and other Trump allies, Jim Jordan of Ohio and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, continue to oppose, more force could be taken:
The Commission has decided to hear anyone who has relevant information on what happened on 6 January. And we also expressed a strong preference to invite people to come and talk at least first.
Once there are subpoenas, future witnesses can tie him up in court for a long time. I’m not saying it won’t happen. But it would be much better if everyone recognized their legal and civil obligations.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon pleaded not guilty to contempt charges, and the House of Representatives voted to recommend similar charges to former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows in December.
As for the information the panel learned, Ruskin said:
Despite all the leaks, this is very little of the information we have that has gone public. Most of the evidence has not been revealed. And in any case, it is not composed in a way that tells a single consistent story. And this is our challenge.
White House Director of Communications Kate Bedingfield is the latest Biden administration official to say she tested positive for Covid-19.
Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive earlier this week after recent infections for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, White House Spokeswoman Jen Psaki and Democrat Senators Chris Murphy and Ron Wyden.
In a tweet, Bedingfield said she did not consider “close contact” with President Joe Biden, although she saw him on Wednesday. Bedingfield said she has been vaccinated and strengthened, has only mild symptoms and works from home.
This morning I tested positive for COVID-19. I last saw the president on Wednesday at a socially remote meeting while wearing an N-95 mask, and he is not considered close contact, as defined by the CDC.
– Kate Bedingfield (@WHCommsDir) April 29, 2022
My colleague Hugo Lowell has more information on the Commission’s January 6 efforts to persuade Republicans to testify voluntarily:
The House Election Commission, which is investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, is expected to issue letters requesting voluntary cooperation from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and about a dozen other Republicans in Congress, according to two sources familiar with the matter. the question.
Scott Perry. Photo: Carolyn Castor / AP
The panel intends to issue a letter to McCarthy – the best Republican in the House of Representatives – and is considering further letters to Scott Perry, Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Green, Mo Brooks, Lauren Bbert, Andy Biggs and some Republican senators.
Congressman Benny Thompson, chairman of the elected committee, is expected to resolve the list of Republican members of Congress involved in the investigation as soon as possible this week. The letters could come either this week or next week, sources said.
The scope and topics of the letters have not yet been finalized, and sources warn that members of Congress who have asked to cooperate may still change. On Thursday, Thompson said he would only send letters to McCarthy and other Republicans.
But the committee’s move to seek the cooperation of some of Donald Trump’s fiercest defenders on Capitol Hill – and for some members, such as McCarthy, Jordan and Perry, the second such request – marks a new tool in the investigation as it reaches its final stages. .
Read more:
Republican politicians may be summoned by the House of Representatives’ January 6 inquiry into Donald Trump’s efforts to undo his election defeat, a senior Democrat from the committee has suggested.
Maryland Congressman Jamie Ruskin gave his assessment Friday in an interview with the Washington Post’s Early 202, a day after Democratic Party Democrat Chair Benny Thompson of Mississippi announced that a series of public hearings would begin on June 9.
Earlier, Ruskin said the hearings would “blow up the House’s roof” and said in an interview Friday that the public had learned “only a small part” of the information the bipartisan commission had gathered so far about Trump’s conspiracy and the deadly attack. of the Capitol by supporters of the former president.
Jamie Ruskin. Photo: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
Summons to testify from Trump’s allies, who could hold important information, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and right-wing congressional members Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Biebert, are not the group’s preferred path, Ruskin said.
But he warned that if McCarthy, who has failed to respond to a request, and other Trump allies, Jim Jordan of Ohio and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, continue to oppose, more force could be taken:
The Commission has decided to hear anyone who has relevant information on what happened on 6 January. And we also expressed a strong preference to invite people to come and talk at least first.
Once there are subpoenas, future witnesses can tie him up in court for a long time. I’m not saying it won’t happen. But it would be much better if everyone recognized their legal and civil obligations.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon pleaded not guilty to contempt charges, and the House of Representatives voted to recommend similar charges to former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows in December.
As for the information the panel learned, Ruskin said:
Despite all the leaks, this is very little of the information we have that has gone public. Most of the evidence has not been revealed. And in any case, it is not composed in a way that tells a single consistent story. And this is our challenge.
Good morning, readers, welcome to Friday’s US Policy Blog.
It’s a party weekend in the capital, with DC figures, including Joe Biden, looking forward to the return of White House correspondents to dinner tomorrow – those who at least don’t have Covid-19.
But there is no end to the House of Representatives’ January 6 crackdown on Republicans, who could hold important information about Donald Trump’s efforts to undo his election defeat. The panel is scheduled for a public hearing in June, and my colleague Hugo Lowell has announced that House of Representatives minority leader Kevin McCarthy and right-wing members of Congress Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boubert are in the spotlight.
This morning, the Washington Post published an in-depth interview with Democratic Congressman Jamie Ruskin, who said the public knew “only a small part” of the information the group had gathered so far.
For the development of the conflict in Ukraine, log on to our 24-hour live news blog here.
In the US today:
- Joe Biden will speak with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador over lunch to discuss mutual interests and priorities in the region.
- Biden will later meet with inspectors generals of various government agencies to discuss how his $ 1 trillion infrastructure package will be implemented.
- Democrats are growing fears that changing election cards across the country is creating major problems for their prospects in the November by-elections.
- White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki will deliver her final briefing of the week at 2 p.m.
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