Panel chair says Trump will be part of Jan. 6 inquiry
By Mychael Schnell - 07/21/21 08:03 AM EDT
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who is chairing the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, said former President Trump will be part of his inquiry, telling The Guardian that “nothing is off limits.”
Thompson, who also serves as the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and authored the bill creating the independent commission, said he is prepared to depose lawmakers and senior Trump administration officials who might have taken part in the attack.
He told The Guardian that he “absolutely” intends on conducting a wide-ranging probe against Trump and some of his top allies on Capitol Hill.
“The issues of January 6 are one of the most salient challenges we have as a nation, to make sure that this democracy does not fall prey to people who don’t really identify with democracy,” Thompson told the news outlet.
He said Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy are among the key witnesses in the investigation, largely because the California Republican was on the phone with Trump when the attack was taking place.
“There will not be a reluctance on the part of the committee to pursue it,” Thompson said, referring to McCarthy’s call. “The committee will want to know if there is a record of what was said.”
He also said any communication with Trump from that day will be important to examine.
more
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/564047-panel-chair-says-trump-will-be-part-of-jan-6-inquiry
