WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Jan. 6 Committee said Sunday it will interview more former Cabinet secretaries and is poised to call conservative activist Virginia “Ginny” Thomas, who is married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, as part of the investigation into the Capitol riots and the role of Donald Trump.
Lawmakers said they were deepening their investigation after a series of eight hearings in June and July, culminating in a prime-time session Thursday, with plans to question additional witnesses and reconvene in September to resume making their findings public.
“We look forward to speaking with additional members of the president’s cabinet,” said Congresswoman Liz Cheney, the committee’s vice chair. “We expect to speak with additional members of his campaign. Of course, we’re also very focused on the Secret Service.
Cheney, R-Wyo., did not identify Trump administration officials who could come forward, but the committee has previously made clear its interest in speaking with those believed to have considered triggering a constitutional process in the 25- ata amendment to remove Trump from office after the riot on January 6, 2021, when hundreds of Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol and disrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s election.
The committee aired testimony from former Attorney General William Barr, who said he told Trump that widespread claims of voter fraud were “bullshit…” and had “zero basis.” During last week’s hearing, the committee played testimony from then-Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, who said he urged Trump to convene a cabinet meeting to discuss an orderly transition of power.
Other cabinet members indicated they may have important details to share.
Betsy DeVos, the education secretary at the time, previously told USA Today that she raised with Vice President Mike Pence whether the Cabinet should consider implementing the 25th Amendment, which would require the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet to agree that the president can no longer perform his duties.
DeVos, in her January 7, 2021 resignation letter, accused Trump of inciting the mob. “There is no doubting the impact of your rhetoric on the situation and this is the inflection point for me,” she wrote.
On the same day, Elaine Chao resigned as Secretary of Transportation. Chao, who is married to Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said the attack “has deeply disturbed me in a way that I just can’t put aside.”
Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state at the time, who is considering a run for president in 2024, and Steven Mnuchin, Trump’s Treasury secretary, also discussed the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment, according to ABC News’ Jonathan Karl in his book “Betrayal.”
“The floodgates have opened,” said Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., about the next phase of the investigation.
Committee members also hope to learn more about Ginny Thomas’ own efforts to keep Trump in office and potential conflicts of interest for Clarence Thomas as a result of the Jan. 6 cases brought before the Supreme Court. The committee sent a letter to Ginny Thomas last month requesting an interview and hopes she will comply, Cheney said.
Thomas communicated with people in Trump’s orbit before the 2021 attack and also on the day of the riot.
“We certainly hope she will agree to come in voluntarily,” Cheney said. “But the committee is fully prepared to consider a subpoena if she doesn’t.”
Cheney also said that while the committee has not decided whether to refer the Justice Department to Trump, “it’s absolutely something we’re looking at.”
Added Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.: “I certainly think there is evidence of wrongdoing, and I think it goes all the way back to Donald Trump.”
Although Trump’s possible prosecution is a matter for the Justice Department, the committee is using its hearings to try to make a case about his political viability as he considers a run in 2024. Some of the most damning testimony aired from the committee, Trump’s own top Republican advisers, military leaders and confidants have admitted they lost confidence in his judgment and commitment to the rule of law in the days before and after the Jan. 6 attack.
The commission also wants to get to the bottom of missing Secret Service texts from January 5-6, 2021, which could shed further light on Trump’s actions during the riot, especially after earlier testimony about his confrontation with security , while trying to join supporters of the Capitol.
Lawmakers are also interested in hearing from Steve Bannon, a Trump ally who pleaded guilty last week to charges of criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a House committee subpoena.
Cheney spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday,” Kinzinger appeared on ABC’s “This Week” and Luria was on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and Associated Press staff writer Mary Claire Jalonik contributed to this report.
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