The House committee investigating the Capitol riot is closing in. Now, the panel has requested an interview with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), an ally in Congress of former President Donald Trump and someone who was apparently in touch with Trump on the day of the riot. Because of those communications, Jordan is in a position to provide critical insights about the then-president’s actions and general goings-on at the White House around the time of the attack on the Capitol by Trump’s supporters. According to panel chairperson Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the riot investigation committee also wants to question Jordan about his role in pre-election deliberations over efforts to get Biden’s presidential election victory thrown out.
Notably, that’s not where Thompson ended in his letter to Jordan — he said that the committee “would also like to ask you about any discussions involving the possibility of presidential pardons for individuals involved in any aspect of January 6th or the planning for January 6th.” In a broader sense, Thompson laid out exact problems for which Jordan could help provide answers, writing how “[despite] the urgent requests that the President speak and instruct the rioters to leave, President Trump did not make such a statement for multiple hours as rioters attacked police and invaded and occupied the Capitol. The Select Committee has testimony indicating that the president was watching television coverage of the attack from his private dining room adjoining the Oval Office during this time period. Even after the crowd ultimately dispersed late in the day, then-President Trump, through his legal team, continued to seek to delay or otherwise impede the electoral count.”
"During the multiple hours of violence, many efforts were made to reach President Trump…We understand that you had at least one and possibly multiple communications with President Trump on January 6th.
We would like to discuss each such communication…" https://t.co/Zg7vABHtgF— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) December 22, 2021
Notably, the riot investigation committee also recently requested information from Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), another ally of Trump in Congress. Perhaps predictably, Perry insisted in response that he would not be cooperating with the investigation, and the panel responded that “if members with directly relevant information decline to cooperate and instead endeavor to cover up, the Select Committee will consider seeking such information using other tools” — which would presumably mean subpoenas. As such, a subpoena for Jordan could also be presumed to be an option, if he refuses to be interviewed. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), a member of the riot investigation panel, has already stated that he “absolutely” believes that subpoenas from the committee for certain GOP colleagues of his should be considered a possibility.
The Jan. 6 committee responds to Republican Scott Perry's refusal to submit to questions: "If members with directly relevant information decline to cooperate and instead endeavor to cover up, the Select Committee will consider seeking such information using other tools.”
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 22, 2021
