Chairman Thompson: The lady
yields back.
Judge lutti and Mr. Jacob, our
nation owes you a great debt for
your knowledge, integrity and
your loyalty to our
constitution.
You and vice president pence are
exactly the people are nation
needed at a critical time.
You have the courage to do what
was right.
In the weeks leading up to
January 6, many people failed
this test and they had to choose
between their oath to the
country or the demands of Donald
Trump.
But there were others who stood
tall, like you, in the face of
intimidation and put our
democracy first.
They include the judges who
rejected the bogus claims of
election fraud, the senior
justice department officials who
stood up to Donald Trump, and
the state officials who we will
hear from at our next hearing.
We are deeply grateful for your
courage and devotion to our
country.
There are some who think the
danger has passed.
And even though there was
violence and a corrupt attempt
to overturn the presidential
election, the system worked.
I look at it another way.
Our system nearly failed and art
democratic foundation destroyed
-- our democratic foundation
destroyed, but for people like
you.
Judge lutti, I want to give you
an opportunity to share your
thoughts on the ongoing threat.
You have written about the clear
and present danger to our
democracy, now as the former
president and other political
allies appear prepared to seize
the presidency in 2024, either
from Mr. Trump or one of his
candidates is not elected by the
American people, what do you
mean by this?
Judge luttig: Mr. Chairman, I am
honored beyond words by your
words.
I was honored on January 6, 2021
.
Then also honored beyond words.
To have been able to come to the
aid of vice president Mike
pence.
I prayed that day, just like the
vice president prayed that day.
I believe we may have prayed the
same prayer to the same god.
I prayed that same prayer with
my wife this morning before I
came to these hearings.
I have written, as you said
chairman Thompson, that today
almost two years after that
fateful day in January of 2021,
that still Donald Trump and his
allies and supporters are a
clear and present danger to
American democracy.
That is not because of what
happened on January 6.
It's because to this very day,
the former president, his allies
and his supporters, pledge that
in the presidential election of
2024, if the former president or
his anointed successor as the
Republican party presidential
candidate were to lose that
election, that they would
attempt to overturn that 2024
election in the same way they
attempted to overturn the 2020
election, but succeed in 2024,
where the field in -- they
failed in 2020.
I do not speak those words
lightly.
I would have never spoken those
words ever in my life except
that that's what the former
president and his allies are
telling us.
As I said in that New York Times
op-ed, wherein I was speaking
about the electoral count act of
1887, the former president and
his allies are executing that
blueprint for 2024 in open and
plain view of the American
public.
I repeat, I would've never
uttered one single one of those
words unless the former
president and his allies were
candidly and probably speaking
those exact words to America.
Chairman, thank you for the
opportunity to appear here today
at these proceedings.
Chairman Thompson: Thank you,
again, judge lutti.
As part of the select
committee's charged and make
recommendations that are
informed by other investigative
findings, we will be reviewing
the views shared by judge
lutti and other experts on
potential improvements to the
electoral count act, among a
range of other initiatives.
I know the information we
presented over the last week is
shocking.
The idea that a president of the
United States would orchestrate
a scheme to stay in power after
the people had voted him out
of office.
We are able to present this
information because so many
witnesses have cooperated with
our probe.
But the fact is there are more
people with direct knowledge,
with evidence important to our
investigation.
I have asked those who might be
on the fence about cooperating,
to reach out to us.
The committee's website address
is being displayed behind me,
january6@house.gov.
There you can see the evidence
we have presented and defined
aid to blind to submit any
information you might think
would be helpful to our
investigation.
Even if you think it is not
important, send us what you
think.
And I thank those who have
sent us evidence for their
Without objection, members will
be seven permitted 10 business
days to submit statements for
the record, including open
remarks and additional questions
for the witnesses.
The chair requests those in the
hearing room remain seated until
the capitol police have escorted