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‘The Big Lie was also the big-rip off’: Jan 6 committee hears Trump’s fraud claims
The House select committee investigating the assault on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 appears to have split over the possibility that it could refer Donald Trump to the Department of Justice on potential criminal charges.
Chairman Bennie Thompson told reporters yesterday that “That’s not our job. Our job is to look at Jan. 6. What caused it and make recommendations after that” – a comment that met with pushback from other members, including Liz Cheney, who tweeted that the committee had not in fact decided on whether referrals could be made.
Mr Trump responded to the panel’s hearing yesterday with a 12-page statement to counter the evidence. In his screed, he called the probe “an attempt to stop a man that is leading in every poll, against both Republicans and Democrats by wide margins, from running again for the presidency.”
He also posted on Truth Social that the committee was overlooking (nonexistent) evidence of electoral fraud, which he wrote was the reason a “massive crowd” assembled on the day of the attack.
Recommended How to watch the Jan 6 committee hearings Donald Trump slams ‘pitiful’ January 6 investigation and teases 2024 run in rambling statement Capitol officer Eugene Goodman testifies for first time about Jan 6 attack: ‘Like something out of medieval times’ Truth Social users claim they’ve been banned from Trump platform for posting about Jan 6 hearings Jared and Ivanka are turning on Trump — and now you see the true face of the Republican Party
Key points Donald Trump issues 12-page rebuttal to Jan 6 committee investigation Trump knew he lost election but pushed fraud claims anyway, 6 Jan committee hears ‘The Big Lie was a big rip-off’ Trump raised $250m to fight non-existent voter fraud but gave most to his own PAC Ex-Trump AG Bill Barr shown laughing at Dinesh D’Souza documentary purporting to prove voter fraud
Show latest update 1655208684 Sean Hannity meets conservative fury over Hunter Biden pardon idea
Fox News’s Sean Hannity is facing severe backlash from conservative commentators for reportedly asking former president Donald Trump to consider a pardon for Hunter Biden to control the fallout from the Capitol insurrection.
The House select committee investigating the Capitol riot has released text messages between Hannity and former White House House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, whom the records show told him that Mr Trump was “intrigued by the pardon idea!! (Hunter)”.
Hannity reportedly proposed a last-minute pardon during a conversation on 7 January, framing it as a gesture to “smooth things over”. But the idea “died on the vine” as, despite initial interest, Mr Trump “never seriously considered” it, a source told The Daily Beast.
Namita Singh has the story.
Conservatives turn on Sean Hannity for promoting pardon for Hunter Biden ‘He earned his CIA pin’
Andrew Naughtie 14 June 2022 13:11
1655206415 ICYMI: Trump’s rambling screed against Jan 6 panel
Donald Trump lashed out at the 6 January committee after yesterday’s hearing,
“The January 6th Unselect Committee is disgracing everything we hold sacred about our Constitution. If they had any real evidence, they’d hold real hearings with equal representation,” Mr Trump wrote in a lengthy statement on Monday. “They don’t, so they use the illegally-constituted committee to put on a smoke and mirrors show for the American people, in a pitiful last-ditch effort to deceive the American public…again.”
The missive concluded ambiguously, with Mr Trump seeming to tease a 2024 presidential comeback run.
“This is merely an attempt to stop a man that is leading in every poll, against both Republicans and Democrats by wide margins, from running again for the Presidency,” Mr Trump wrote.
Josh Marcus has the story.
Donald Trump slams ‘pitiful’ January 6 probe and teases 2024 run in lengthy statement Former president’s response comes after a day of bruising hearings
Andrew Naughtie 14 June 2022 12:33
1655203122 Kimberly Guilfoyle “paid $60k” for Jan 6 speech at White House
Among the speakers at the 6 January White House rally that preceded the Capitol attack was Donald Trump Jr fiancee and disgraced former Fox News pundit Kimberly Guilfoyle.
She went on to testify to the select committee – and in an interview yesterday, panel member Zoe Lofgren confirmed that she had been paid some $60,000 for her speech on the day of the insurrection.
The former president’s future daughter-in-law gave brief remarks outside the White House on 6 January, where she claimed to the crowd, some of whom would eventually storm the Capitol, “We will continue to stand for president Trump, stand with him and for this country. We will not allow the liberals and the Democrats to steal our dream or steal our elections.”
That day, she was also pictured on Donald Trump Jr’s social media exhorting supporters to “have the courage to do the right thing, fight!”
Ms Guilfoyle was memorably filmed dancing to Laura Branigan’s anthemic 1982 hit “Gloria”, a mainstay of the Trump rally playlist, before going on stage.
Josh Marcus has the story.
Kimberly Guilfoyle was paid $60k to introduce Trump before Capitol riot: committee “I’m not saying it’s a crime, but I think it’s a grift”
Andrew Naughtie 14 June 2022 11:38
1655201296 Thompson, Cheney and Lofgren on a Trump referral to DoJ
Arguably the biggest question hovering over the 6 January select committee is whether or not they will refer Donald Trump to the Department of Justice on the basis of potential criminality. And after yesterday’s hearings, the panel’s three most senior members are still keeping their powder dry, perhaps in an effort to avoid the impression that they are pressurising the department into investigating a former president.
As Zoe Lofgren said to CNN, “They’re the prosecutors. Not the legislators.” However, chairman Bennie Thompson also remarked that the committee has no authority in this department – a different claim that has reportedly rankled some of the other members.
Andrew Naughtie 14 June 2022 11:08
1655199000 Images reveal threats against GOP official’s family after Trump named him in election tweet
A Republican official on Monday revealed the threats he and his family faced after former President Donald Trump named him in a tweet aimed at overturning the result of the 2020 presidential election.
Al Schmidt, who resigned from his position as a Philadelphia City Commissioner last year, was one of three city commissioners serving on the city’s County Board of Elections in November, 2020 when his state’s presidential election vote count was targeted by Mr Trump.
Read more:
Republican official reveals threats after Trump named him in election tweet Former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt testified before the January 6 committee on Monday
Oliver O’Connell 14 June 2022 10:30
1655197295 Letitia James raises possibility of “Stop the Steal” investigation
New York Attorney General Letitia James is already overseeing a major probe of Donald Trump’s business dealings, making her one of his most hated public figures – and now, after yesterday’s hearings, she is apparently considering a look into what happened to the money raised off the back of the “Stop the Steal” campaign after the 2020 election:
Andrew Naughtie 14 June 2022 10:01
1655195400 AG Garland says he’s ‘watching’ Jan 6 hearings amid calls for Trump to face criminal charges
Attorney General Merrick Garland has said that he’s following the January 6 hearings amid calls for former President Donald Trump face criminal charges.
During a press conference on gun violence on Monday, CNN Justice correspondent Evan Perez asked Mr Garland if he has had a chance to look at the hearings conducted by the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot and if he’s learned anything that could be useful for the Justice Department.
Merrick Garland ‘watching’ Jan 6 hearings amid calls for Trump to face charges ‘I would like to see the justice department investigate any credible allegation of criminal activity on the part of Donald Trump,’ California Democrat says
Oliver O'Connell 14 June 2022 09:30
1655193600 GOP election official reveals threats against his family after Trump named him in tweet
A Republican official on Monday revelead the threats he and his family faced after former President Donald Trump named him in a tweet aimed at overturning the result of the 2020 presidential election.
Al Schmidt, who resigned from his position as a Philadelphia City Commissioner last year, was one of three city commissioners serving on the city’s County Board of Elections in November, 2020 when his state’s presidential election vote count was targeted by Mr Trump.
Abe Asher reports.
Republican official reveals threats after Trump named him in election tweet Former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt testified before the January 6 committee on Monday
Oliver O'Connell 14 June 2022 09:00
1655191800 Voices: Today, William Barr gave the most damning testimony I’ve seen about Trump in five years of reporting
Ahmed Baba writes:
William Barr’s testimony was absolutely devastating for Trump. Indeed, it was some of the most damning testimony for Trump I’ve ever heard in any of the many Trump corruption hearings I’ve covered over the last five years, and that’s saying something — especially considering it came from one of Trump’s formerly biggest sycophants.
Read more:
Today, William Barr gave the most damning testimony I’ve ever seen about Trump Considering this came from one of the former president’s chief sycophants, this was the most damaging it could possibly have been
Oliver O'Connell 14 June 2022 08:30
1655188200 Truth Social users claim they’ve been banned from Trump platform for posting about Jan 6 hearings
Users of Truth Social — former President Donald Trump‘s ostensibly free speech-oriented social media platform — are claiming that they’ve been banned for posting about the Capitol riot committee hearings.
One of those users, political commentator Travis Allen, posted a screenshot of his Truth Social page to Twitter, showing that he had been “permanently suspended” after discussing the January 6 committee on the platform.
Read more:
Truth Social users claim they’ve been banned for posting about Jan 6 hearings ‘So much for free speech!’ one user wrote after a ban
Oliver O'Connell 14 June 2022 07:30
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