.
>>> THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
HAS A DUTY TO ACT ON THIS
REFERRAL AND OTHERS WE HAVE
SENT.
WITHOUT ENFORCEMENT OF
CONGRESSIONAL SUBPOENAS, THERE
IS NO OVERSIGHT.
>> IN THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA, NO ONE IS ABOVE THE
LAW.
THIS COMMITTEE IS DOING ITS JOB.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NEEDS
TO DO THEIRS.
>> I WILL ECHO WHAT MY
COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY SAID,
MORE BLUNTLY, ATTORNEY GENERAL
GARLAND, DO YOUR JOB SO THAT WE
CAN DO OURS.
>> IT'S A RIVETING HEARING LAST
NIGHT THAT WAS THE JANUARY 6th
SELECT COMMITTEE VOTE ON THOSE
CONTEMPT REFERRALS FOR
MR. SCOVINO AND NAVARRO.
MEMBERS EXPRESSED, SHOULD WE
CALL IT IMPATIENCE, BORDERING ON
FRUSTRATION WITH THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT LAST NIGHT DURING
THAT VOTE, TO HOLD THOSE TWO IN
CONTEMPT.
IT IS OUR PRIVILEGE NOW TO BRING
IN A MEMBER OF THAT COMMITTEE,
CONGRESSWOMAN ZOE LOFGREN OF
CALIFORNIA.
CONGRESSWOMAN, I WATCHED THAT.
AND IT'S CLEAR THAT YOU ALL KNEW
WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY AND
IT WAS UNDENIABLE AND YOU
COULDN'T MISS BUT MOST OF YOU
MAID THIS POINT ABOUT JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT'S ROLE AND I THINK
THERE IS THIS MISSED PERCEPTION,
MAYBE, THAT NORMS, SNAP BACK
WHEN YOU STOP ACTING LIKE BILL
BARR AND IT SEEMS THE COMMITTEE
IS SAYING NORMS SNAP BACK WHEN
THE RULE OF LAW MEANS SOMETHING
AGAIN.
IS THAT A MESSAGE THAT YOU ARE
ALL TRYING TO TRANSCEND?
>> I THINK SO AND CERTAINLY, THE
FORMER PRESIDENT'S ASSOCIATES
HAVE BASICALLY THUMBED THEIR
NOSE AT THE RULE OF LAW.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT NOT ALLOW TO
CONTINUE.
WE DO NOT TAKE THESE REFERRALS
LIGHTLY AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW
FROM WATCHING THE PROCEEDINGS
LAST NIGHT.
WE SPENT MONTHS AND MONTHS AND
MONTHS WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS
TRYING TO GET THEM TO COME IN,
TALKING TO THEM, OR THEIR
LAWYERS.
AND THEY IN THE END, THEY JUST
WALKED AWAY AND IF THE RULE OF
LAW MEANS SOMETHING, YOU CAN'T
ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN, I THINK IT
ALSO BEARS POINTING OUT HOW
ACCOMMODATING YOU HAVE BEEN AND
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE COOPERATED.
WE FOCUS SO MUCH ON THE OUTLIERS
WHO DON'T.
BUT YOU'VE SPENT A GOOD CHUNK OF
TIME WITH KAYLEEcENANY.
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR
THE JARED KUSHNER MEET
SOMETHING.
>> WELL, AS YOU KNOW, WE DON'T
COMMENT ON INDIVIDUALS COMING
IN.
BUT WHICH DO EXPECT ALL WITNESSES TO BE HONEST AND
WITNESSES TO BE HONEST AND
OPENED WITH WHAT THEY KNOW THE
COMMITTEE HAD HORDE FROM
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE
WHO HAVE BEEN HONEST AND SPOKEN
TO US.
IT'S HELPED FILL IN THE PICTURE
FRANKLY OF WHAT LED UP TO THEY
ARIOT JANUARY 6th.
THE COUP THAT WAS ATTEMPTED.
JUDGE HARDEST DECISION IN
CALIFORNIA EARLIER THIS WEEK IS
WORTH READING.
IT'S NOT THAT LONG.
HE DOES OUTLINE HIS FINDING THAT
IT'S MORE LIKELY THAN NOT FROM
THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND HIS
ATTORNEY MR. EASTMAN ENGAGED IN
FRAUD AND CRIMINAL CONDUCT AND
AT ONE POINT IN HIS DECISION, HE
SAID THIS WAS A COUP LOOKING FOR
A LEGAL THEORY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO PURSUE
THIS.
WE NEED TO TAKE STEPS TO MAKE
SURE THAT NOTHING LIKE THIS CAN
EVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
BECAUSE OUR DEMOCRACY IS NOT OUT
OF THE THREAT YES.
WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET.
>> IT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY
OPINION.
ESPECIALLY THAT LAST PAGE.
I WANT TO READ FROM THE SECTION
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.
THE JUDGE WRITES THIS, EVERY
AMERICAN AND CERTAINLY THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
KNOWS IN THAT DEMOCRACY LEADERS
ARE ELECTED NOT INSTALLED.
WITH A PLAN THIS BOLD, PRESIDENT
TRUMP KNOWINGLY TRIED TO SUBVERT
THIS FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE.
BASED ON THE EVIDENCE, THE COURT
FIND IT MORE LIKELY THAN NOT
THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP CORRUPTLY
ATTEMPTED TO OBSTRUCT THE JOINT
SESSION OF CONGRESS ON JANUARY
6th 2021.
NOW, COINCIDENTALLY, PROGRAMS,
THAT IS THE EXACT STATUTE THAT I
BELIEVE LIZ CHENEY YOUR FELLOW
COMMITTEE MEMBER READ FROM A FEW
MONTHS BACK.
HAVE YOU MADE A CRIMINAL
REFERRAL UNDER THAT STATUTE FOR
DONALD TRUMP, TO THE DOJ?
>> WE HAVE NOT AND OBVIOUSLY,
WE'RE NOT RULING OUT ANYTHING.
BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH NOTING
THAT A CRIMINAL REVEL FROM
CONGRESS AMOUNTS TO BASICALLY
NOTHING.
EXCEPT WHEN YOU ARE THE VICTIM
OF A CRIME.
NOW IN THE CASE OF THE
INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE ENGAGED IN
CRIMINAL CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS,
CONGRESS IS A VICTIM AND THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE A VICTIM OF
THAT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
THAT ELEVATES THE REFERRAL IN A
WAY.
BUT REFERRING MATTERS FOR
PROSECUTION UNDER OTHER
STATUTES, THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION
TO TAKE NOTICE OF THAT AND I'M
SURE THAT THE TOMORROW AND THE
OTHER LAWYERS IN THE DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE HAVE READ THE JUDGE'S
DECISION.
I DON'T THINK THEY NEED US TO
LET THEM KNOW THAT IT HAPPENED.
>> EX-DOJ OFFICIALS, PEOPLE I
KNOW DAN GOLDMAN AND OTHERS
EXPRESSED DISMAY THAT THERE
DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY
INVESTIGATION OF THE INNER
CIRCLE, THE CIRCLE THAT YOU ARE
INVESTIGATING.
THE CIRCLE THAT YOU ALL HAVE
PEERSD, FRANKLY.
IT'S CLEAR YOU ARE IN THE ROOM
IN THE OVAL OFFICE WITH THE
WITNESS TESTIMONY.
HAVE YOU HEARD ALREADY AND SOME
OF WHICH ARE STILL PURSUING.
WHAT WOULD YOU USE FOR THE
IMPRESSION AT LEAST THAT DOJ HAS
NOT PURSUED THAT INNER CIRCLE?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW, WE DON'T
KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOCK.
THAT'S APPROPRIATE PROSECUTORS
ARE ES SUPPOSED TO DO THEIR
INVESTIGATION.
WITHIN THEY HAVE SOMETHING, YOU
FIND OUT WHEN YOU FILE AN
INDICTMENT.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS SAID
PUBLICLY THAT THEY WILL FOLLOW
THESE CASES WHEREVER THEY LEAD
AND SO I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT
THAT IS CORRECT.
MEANWHILE, OUR COMMITTEE IS NOT,
YOU KNOW, A CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION.
WE'RE A LEGISLATIVE BODY AND
WE'RE GOING TO GET ALL OF THE
INFORMATION AND WE'RE GOING TO
MAKE IT ALL PUBLIC, FOR THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC.
BY THE WAY, THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE DOESN'T KNOW, THEY WILL
BE MADE AWARE OF IT.
THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO, REALLY.
>> AND IN TERMS OF USING ALL THE
TOOLS AT YOUR DISPOSAL, WILL YOU
SUBPOENA MEMBERS OF CONGRESS?
WILL YOU SUBPOENA YOUR OWN
COLLEAGUE?
>> WELL, AS I SAY, WE ARE
LOOKING AT ALL OF THE POTENTIAL
WITNESSES, CERTAINLY DOCUMENTARY
EVIDENCE DOES INDICATE SOME
INVOLVEMENT FROM SOME, OUR
COLLEAGUES.
WE HAVE ASKED SEVERAL OF THEM TO
COME IN AND TALK TO US.
WE HAVE NOT YET ISSUED SUBPOENAS
AND ACTUALLY THERE ARE OTHER
INDIVIDUALS THAT IT IS BECOMING
CLEAR HAVE INFORMATION THAT WILL
BE HELPFUL TO OUR INVESTIGATION.
SO WE HAVE THAT DETERMINATION
HAS NOT BEEN MADE, ALTHOUGH, WE
ARE WILLING TO PURSUE ANYTHING
THAT GETS US CLOSEST TO THE
TRUTH.
>> CAN YOU OFFER ANY THOUGHTS
AND I'M NOT SPECIFIC ONCE ARE
BEING MADE PUBLIC.
BUT IN TERMS OF THIS REPORTING
TODAY, EXAMINATION BOTH ON THE
PART OF THE DOJ IN THE CASES
INVOLVING INSURRECTIONISM
THEMSELVES AS WELL AS BY YOUR
COMMITTEE OF DONALD TRUMP'S
WORDS AND THE RESPONSE THAT THEY
GARNERED AND THE KNOWLEDGE, IT'S
IN THE CONTEMPT REPORT FROM
MR. SCOVINO AND NAVARRO.
THE INTERSECTION OF THE VIOLENCE
THAT ENSUED AND WORKS THAT
DONALD TRUMP CHANNELLED DIRECT
WILL I TO HIS SUPPORTERS AND HAD
TO HAVE KNOWN IS BEING TARGETED
TO THOSE EXTREMIST GROUPS.
>>> HOW MUCH IS THAT A FOCUS?
>> WELL, IT'S A GREAT CONCERN.
IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE
WANT TO HEAR FROM DAN SCOVINO.
YOU KNOW, HE WAS THE FORMER
PRESIDENT'S TWITTERFY.
AND HE ALSO WAS TASKED.
WE BELIEVE HE DID, TAKE NOTE AND
FOLLOW SOME OF THESE EXTREMIST
GROUPS THAT WERE TALKING ABOUT
VIOLENCE.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT HE MADE THAT
INFORMATION KNOWN TO THE
PRESIDENT.
SO WE NEED TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT
THAT.
THE PIECES ARE FITTING TOGETHER
WOULDN'T APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO
TRY AND JUMP AHEAD OF THE ACTUAL
REPORT, THE COMMITTEE WILL MAKE.
BUT CERTAINLY, THERE IS GRAVE
CONCERN THAT THE PRESIDENT'S
WORDS LED TO VIOLENCE AND, IN
FACT, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF THE
HOUSE AND SENATE SAID AS MUCH
RIGHT AFTER THE RIOT.
IT WAS ONLY AFTER CERTAIN OF OUR
COLLEAGUES, MINORITY LEADER, THE
LIKE, WENT TO KISS THE RING OF
THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND
MAR-A-LAGO THAT THE TRUTH
STARTED TO FADE IN THEIR MINDS
AND NOW THEY ARE MANY
REPUBLICANS ARE TRYING TO MAKE
EXCUSES FOR THIS VIOLENCE.
THAT CAN'T STAND.
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC KNOW THAT
YOU CANNOT TOLERATE POLITICAL
VIOLENCE DECIDING ELECTIONS.
THAT IS NOT THE AMERICAN WAY.
>> I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
THE 25 OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
CLARENCE THOMAS, GINNY THOMAS IS
A KNOWN CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST.
I THINK IT WAS UNKNOWN BEFORE
SOME OF HER TEXT MESSAGES TO THE
EX-CHIEF OF STAFF, WHO IS ALSO
IN DEFIANCE OF FULL SUBPOENA
FROM YOUR COMMITTEE WERE
RELEASED.
I WONDER WHAT THE I'M GOING TO
ASK YOU, IF YOU CAN TELL US
ABOUT THE CONVERSATION YOU HAD
ABOUT HER AND IF IT'S SOMETHING
YOU WON'T KEEP PRIVATE.
I WONDER IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO HER
SIGNIFICANCE IN TERMS OF WHAT
WAS VERY PUBLIC.
DONALD TRUMP CALLED FOR THESE
CASES THEORY DECK LUS ONES
COMING OUT OF TEXAS FOR SIX
STATES, NOT ONLY IF TEXAS, TO
JUST GET TO THE SUPREME COURT.
HE WAS TRYING TO GET IT TO THE
SUPREME COURT.
IS GINNY THOMAS IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTANDING WHY TRUMP WAS SO
SUCCINCT ON THAT?
>> WELL, WE ARE LOOKING AT
EVERYTHING RELATIVE TO MISS
THOMAS AND I AM NOT IN A
POSITION TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT
ON THIS NOW.
BUT THE COMMITTEE IS LOOKING AT
EVERYTHING RELATED TO ANY
POTENTIAL WITNESS, INCLUDING
HER.
WE'RE NOT AFRAID TO ASK PEOPLE
TO COME IN, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT IT WOULD LEAD TO MORE