Capitol Riots Update: Jan. 6 Committee To Interview A Key Trump Ally
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol sent a letter Wednesday to Donald Trump ally Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, asking him to speak with investigators.
"We understand that you had at least one and possibly multiple communications with President Trump on January 6th. We would like to discuss each such communication with you in detail. And we also wish to inquire about any communications you had on January 5th or 6th with those in the Willard War Room, the Trump legal team, White House personnel or others involved in organizing or planning the actions and strategies for January 6th," Committee Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in the letter.
Jordan responded by saying he has “nothing to hide” and that he’s been “straightforward all along.”
Jordan reportedly participated in secret meetings with other Republican lawmakers that involved plans to challenge the outcome of the election. On Jan. 5, Jordan forwarded a text he received from a lawyer to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows laying out a strategy to overturn the election.
“On Jan. 6, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence, as president of the Senate, should call out all the electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all — in accordance with guidance from founding father Alexander Hamilton and judicial precedence,” the text read.
Speaking to a House panel on Oct. 20, Jordan confirmed he spoke to Trump on Jan. 6 but struggled to answer how many times.
“Of course I talked to the president,” Jordan told the Rules Committee. “I talked to him that day -- I’ve been clear about that. I don’t recall the number of times. But it’s not about me. I know you want to make it about that.”
The committee has issued a number of subpoenas to former Trump aides during its investigation including Meadows, who is being held in contempt for no longer cooperating with the committee.
Jordan is the second Trump ally in the House to receive an interview request from the committee.
Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., declined a request for a voluntary sit-down.
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