Jan. 6 panel recommends contempt charges for Trump DOJ official
By Rebecca Beitsch - 12/01/21 07:22 PM EST
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol voted Wednesday night to refer Trump Justice Department lawyer Jeffrey Clark for prosecution by the very agency where he once worked, the second such censure by the panel.
The unanimous vote comes as the committee is now planning to convene a second hearing for Clark this coming Saturday, following a note at 8 p.m. Tuesday from his lawyer asking for a change to plead his fifth amendment right for protection against self incrimination before the committee.
The vote will continue the contempt process, with Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) calling Clark's offer to return a “last-ditch attempt to delay the Select Committee’s proceedings” noting that the committee would still forward the matter for consideration by the full House, while the Saturday meeting will allow Clark the plead the fifth on the question-by-question basis.
Clark, a mid-level attorney at DOJ, became a central figure in former President Trump’s quest to have the Justice Department investigate his baseless claims of voter fraud, with Clark pushing superiors to send a letter encouraging states to delay certification of their election results. Trump weighed installing him as acting attorney general as other DOJ officials resisted his efforts.
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https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/583907-jan-6-committee-recommends-contempt-charges-for-trump-doj-official
