WASHINGTON (AP) – A House of Representatives commission investigating the Jan. 6 riot is delving into what it calls the “big lie,” Donald Trump’s false allegations of voter fraud that fueled his relentless efforts to cancel the 2020 election. and led a mob of his supporters to besiege the US Capitol.
The 1/6 panel resumed hearings Monday with living witnesses, including Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, as committee members say they have uncovered enough evidence for the Justice Department to consider an unprecedented indictment against the former president. . Stepien was summoned for his public testimony.
Chairperson Benny Thompson, D-Miss., And Vice-Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.
In the last year, the commission has been investigating the most violent attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812 to ensure that such an attack never happens again. Lawmakers hope to show that Trump’s efforts to undo Joe Biden’s election victory posed a serious threat to democracy.
Stephen, a longtime ally of Trump, oversaw the “transformation” of Trump’s presidential campaign into a “Stop Theft” effort, according to a summons issued by the commission last fall. He is likely to face questions about what people close to Trump have been telling the president about the election results. Stephen is now the chief adviser on the Trump-approved House of Representatives candidate Harriet Hayjman, who is fighting Cheney in the Republican primary in Wyoming.
In addition to Stepien, the committee is due to hear testimony from Chris Sturworth, a former Fox News political editor closely involved in election night coverage who backed the decision to declare Arizona a Biden winner. He wrote about his experiences later in an article and may be asked about Trump’s actions when Fox New announced that Biden had won.
A second group of witnesses testifying on Monday will be composed of election officials, investigators and experts who are likely to discuss Trump’s response to the election, including dozens of failed court challenges and how his actions deviate from US standards.
Among them is former Atlanta Attorney General BJP, who abruptly resigned after Trump pressured Georgia’s government officials to undo his presidential defeat. Trump wanted to fire Pak as disloyal, but Pak withdrew after Trump’s call, calling on Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Rafensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn Biden’s victory in the state, became public.
The panel will also hear former Philadelphia commissioner Al Schmid, the only Republican on the election commission who has faced criticism since the state election was called for Biden, and said Washington attorney and election lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg.
As he considers another White House nomination, Trump insists the commission’s investigation is a “witch hunt.” Last week, he said January 6th was “the biggest movement in our country’s history.”
Nine people died in and after the uprising, including a Trump supporter who was shot and killed by police. More than 800 people were arrested during the siege, and members of two extremist groups have been charged with rare rioting charges for their role in leading the Capitol.
In a prime-time hearing, the committee described how Trump has been told over and over again by his trusted aides and top-level officials that there has been no election fraud on a scale that could change the outcome. But Trump continued his false allegations about the election and drew supporters in Washington on Jan. 6 to overturn Biden’s victory as Congress had to certify the results of the Electoral College.
Additional evidence will be released in hearings this week, focusing on Trump’s decision to ignore the outcome of the election and the lawsuits against him.
Monday’s hearing will also address the millions of dollars Trump’s team brought in for a fundraiser on the eve of Jan. 6, according to a commission aide who asked for anonymity to discuss the details.
The committee said most of those interviewed in the investigation volunteered, although some wanted the summons to appear in public. Stepien was summoned, and Trump spokesman Taylor Budovic suggested the commission’s decision to summon him was politically motivated.
Lawmakers have said that perhaps their most important member of the public during the hearings could be Attorney General Merrick Garland, who must decide whether his department can and should pursue Trump. They left no doubt as to whether the evidence was sufficient to continue.
“Once the evidence has been gathered by the Ministry of Justice, it must decide whether it can prove to the jury beyond a reasonable doubt the guilt of the president or someone else,” said Adam Schiff, D-Calif, a member of the commission. they need to be investigated if there is credible evidence that I think there is. “
MP Jamie Ruskin, MD, another member told CNN that he did not intend to “shake” Garland, but noted that the commission had already set out in legal pleadings criminal laws that it believed Trump had violated.
“I think he knows, his staff knows, American lawyers know what’s at stake here,” Ruskin said.
No president or former president has ever been accused. Garland did not say whether he would like to sue.
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Associated Press writer Jill Colvin of New York contributed to this report.
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For a full coverage of the January 6 hearings, go to
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