Far-right commentator Alex Jones isn’t taking well to his recent subpoena from the House committee investigating the Capitol riot. As summarized by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney, Jones has now stated that he intends to “probably” invoke the Fifth Amendment to try and get out of testifying, because of fears on his part that he’ll be caught in a lie and prosecuted for it. As Cheney explained it, discussing the Fifth Amendment plan, Jones “insists it’s because he thinks they’ll try to get/ catch him in a lie and get DOJ to prosecute him over it.”
Jones says he'll also testify live and on camera if the committee allows (they almost certainly won't)
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) November 23, 2021
The Justice Department has already indicated that they’re not afraid to bring criminal proceedings in connection to the House committee’s investigation. Recently, former top Trump adviser Steve Bannon was indicted on two charges of contempt of Congress after he refused to comply with a subpoena from the committee, claiming executive privilege — even though he didn’t even work for the executive branch during the time period under consideration. Bannon has insisted that his case will be the “misdemeanor from hell” for Biden and top Democrats, because he plans to go “on the offense” against them — but there’s no particular reason to believe that his comments are anything but hot air.
This is me messaging it! After the Trump Slump, Americans are back to work! #DemocratsDeliver https://t.co/i7uDwzFsyS
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 24, 2021
A press release from the riot investigation committee about Jones’s subpoena noted that he ‘reportedly helped organize the rally at the Ellipse on January 6th that immediately preceded the attack on the Capitol, including by facilitating a donation to provide what he described as “eighty percent” of the funding.’ The same press release also notes that Jones “spoke at the January 5th rally on Freedom Plaza that was sponsored by the Eighty Percent Coalition” and “has stated that he was told by the White House that he was to lead a march from the January 6th Ellipse rally to the Capitol, where President Trump would meet the group and speak.” More broadly, he’s also been caught “implying he had knowledge about the plans of the former President with respect to the rally,” per that same press release.
Bill Palatucci, national committeeman from NJ and close Christie ally, points out that Rs had to push for additional resources for the close NJ gov race while committee paid Trump legal bills for a non political case https://t.co/mPVpnGiOgw
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 24, 2021
