Thompson, chair of Jan. 6 committee, has talked with White House about pardons
by Mike Lillis - 01/14/25 3:15 PM ET
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who headed Congress’s special investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, said Tuesday that he has been in talks with the White House about presidential pardons.
His comments confirmed a report, published hours earlier by Punchbowl News, that Thompson had at least one conversation in December with the White House counsel’s office about a potential pardon. He emphasized that he wasn’t lobbying for any special favors.
“It wasn’t preemptive,” Thompson said. “We had a discussion about pardons. It wasn’t a particular pardon. … I said for me, as a member of the committee, if one is offered, I would accept it.”
The issue of pardons has been under a spotlight because President-elect Trump has long accused the members of the Jan. 6 select committee of skewing their investigation to damage a political rival. Trump has suggested those investigators be punished, and he’s nominated several figures to top law enforcement offices who have supported the false claims that Joe Biden’s 2020 victory was rigged.
Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee for U.S. attorney general, was a vocal supporter of the false claims that Trump had won Pennsylvania in the 2020 election, only to have it “stolen” by corrupt Democrats.
Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, has accused that agency of orchestrating the Jan. 6 rampage and vowed to “find the conspirators” in the government and media who blamed Trump for the attack.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5085208-thompson-jan-6-committee-white-house-pardons/
