WASHINGTON — Jan. 6 committee members revealed on the shut of Tuesday’s listening to that they’re involved allies of former President Donald Trump are attempting to intimidate witnesses who’re cooperating with the particular House panel.
“Most people know that attempting to influence witnesses to testify untruthfully presents very serious concerns. We will be discussing these issues as a Committee and carefully considering our next steps,” Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., mentioned on the conclusion of the listening to.
Cheney, the highest Republican on the panel, mentioned the committee routinely asks witnesses whether or not they have been contacted by any former Trump administration or marketing campaign officers “who attempted to influence or impact their testimony.”
The committee has already made legal suggestions for people who refused to adjust to subpoenas. Federal law prohibits obstructing a congressional investigation or intimidating witnesses.
Cheney mentioned the panel found at the very least two examples of potential witness intimidation.
The first was a telephone name {that a} Jan. 6 witness described receiving and Cheney learn an outline of: “What they said to me is, as long as I continue to be a team player, they know that I’m on the team, I’m doing the right thing, I’m protecting who I need to protect, you know, I’ll continue to stay in good graces in Trump World.
“And they have reminded me a couple of times that Trump does read transcripts and just to keep that in mind as I proceeded through my depositions and interviews with the committee.”
A second witness, according to Cheney, also received a phone call before his or her deposition: Someone “let me know you have your deposition tomorrow. He wants me to let you know that he’s thinking about you. He knows you’re loyal, and you’re going to do the right thing when you go in for your deposition.”
The allegations of possible witness tampering prompted one former top Trump official to tweet that it could represent a “serious problem” for Trump.
“The Press is going to focus on some sensational revelations from today: guns, grabbing a secret service agent, etc. But the real bomb that got dropped was the implied charge of witness tampering,” Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s former acting chief of staff, tweeted.
“If there is hard evidence, that is a serious problem for the former President.”
During its yearlong investigation, the Jan. 6 panel has interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses, received more than 140,000 documents and is following up on 471 tips received through the committee’s tip line.