The Home panel investigating the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot voted Wednesday to pursue contempt fees in opposition to Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Division official who refused to reply the committee’s questions, even because the committee has agreed to let him come again for an additional strive.
The committee voted 9-0 to pursue felony fees in opposition to Clark, who aligned with Donald Trump because the then-president tried to overturn his election defeat.
The chairman of the panel, Mississippi Consultant Bennie Thompson, stated the committee had acquired a last-minute notification from Clark’s lawyer that he needed to as an alternative invoke his Fifth Modification proper in opposition to self-incrimination.
Thompson stated he believed Clark’s try to return was a “a last-ditch try to delay the Choose Committee’s proceedings” nevertheless it has agreed to attempt to interview him once more.
“We are going to proceed tonight with contemplating the contempt report, as that is simply step one of the contempt course of,” Thompson stated. “We wish the info, and we want witnesses to cooperate with their authorized obligation and supply us with details about what led to the January sixth assault.”
Clark appeared for a deposition final month however refused to reply any questions, citing Trump’s authorized efforts to dam the committee’s investigation.
Meadows to cooperate
The vote got here as Trump’s high White Home aide on the time, chief of workers Mark Meadows, has agreed to cooperate with the panel on a restricted foundation after greater than two months of negotiations. Meadows has supplied some paperwork and is anticipated to sit down for a deposition as quickly as subsequent week, although his lawyer has indicated he’ll decline to reply particular questions on his conversations with the president.
The advice of felony contempt fees in opposition to Clark will now go to the complete Home for a vote, although it’s unclear if that might be delayed, for the reason that committee has agreed to fulfill with Clark once more. If the Home votes to carry Clark in contempt, the Justice Division will then determine whether or not to prosecute.
In a transcript of Clark’s November 5 interview launched by the panel on Tuesday night, workers and members of the committee tried to steer the previous Justice Division official to reply questions on his position as Trump pushed the division to analyze his false allegations of widespread fraud within the election. Clark had change into an ally of the previous president as different Justice officers pushed again on the baseless claims.
However Clark’s lawyer, Harry MacDougald, stated in the course of the interview that Clark was protected not solely by Trump’s assertions of govt privilege but additionally by a number of different privileges MacDougald claimed Clark ought to be afforded. The committee rejected these arguments, and MacDougald and Clark walked out of the interview after about 90 minutes.
In response to a report earlier this yr by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which interviewed a number of of Clark’s colleagues, Trump’s stress culminated in a dramatic White Home assembly at which the president ruminated about elevating Clark to lawyer normal. He didn’t accomplish that after a number of aides threatened to resign.
