gentleman from Illinois for an
opening statement.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Certainly, one of the many
important
components of our federal
government is the department of
justice.
It is the body that is
responsible for enforcing our
laws and investigating criminal
wrongdoing.
For this reason, it is of the
utmost importance that our
department of justice operates
as a fair and neutral body that
enforces our federal laws
without fear or favor.
It is this critical function
that president trump sought to
corrupt as he sought to use the
department of justice to
investigate and prosecute
purported election fraud and
help him convince the public
election was stolen.
The select committee has made
the following findings with
respect to the department of
justice.
In the weeks immediately
following the 2020 election,
attorney general bill Barr
advised president trump the
department of justice had not
seen any evidence to support
trump's theory the election was
stolen by fraud.
No evidence.
Over the course of the three
meetings in this postelection
period, attorney general Barr
assured president trump the
justice department was properly
investigating claims of election
fraud.
He debunked numerous election
fraud claims, many of which the
president would then go on to
repeat publicly.
And he made clear that president
trump was doing "A great great
disservice to the country by
pursuing them."
After attorney general Barr's
resignation, president trump
requested the acting leadership
of the department, "Just say the
election was corrupt and leave
the rest to me and the
Republican congressman."
In other words, just tell a
small lie to put the façade of
legitimacy on this lie and the
Republican congressmen and I can
distort and create doubt
ourselves.
Between December 23 and January
3, president trump called or met
with him nearly every day and
was told repeatedly the
department investigation showed
no factual support for trump's
fraud allegations.
Mr. Rose and and Mr. Donahue
told him the fraud claims were
untrue.
As they continued to resist,
president trump then tried to
install a loyalist named Jeffrey
Clark to lead the department is
acting attorney general.
On several occasions, he met
with the president, apparently
along with representative Scott
Perry, without authorization,
promising to take the actions
that Barr, Rosen, and Donahue
refused to take pretty intended
to send a letter he drafted with
just weeks left in the
administration.
Mr. Clark intended to send a
letter to officials in numerous
states informing them falsely,
of course, the department had
identified significant concerns
about the election results in
their state and encouraging
their state legislatures to come
into special session to consider
appointing trump rather than
Biden electors.
Here is the acting deputy
attorney general describing his
reaction to Mr. Clark's proposed
letter.
>> Drafting letters without the
knowledge of what department had
done in terms of investigations,
that he was being reckless.
I recall toward the end saying
what you are proposing is
nothing less than the united
States justice department
meddling in the outcome of the
presidential election.
>> Knowing existing department
leadership would not support his
false election claims, president
trump offered Mr. Clark a job of
acting attorney general.
In a dramatic January 3 meeting
in the oval office, Rosen,
Donahue, and white house counsel
strongly objected to the
appointment of Jeffrey Clark as
acting attorney general.
Mr. Clark pleaded his case and
offered to send the letter he
drafted.
The white house counsel called
the letter a murder-suicide
pact.
They all threatened to resign if
Mr. Clark was appointed.
Donald Trump would be leaving a
graveyard.
It was only after the threat of