Page 3 - aruba-today-20220615

A3
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 15 June 2022
1/6 panel postpones hearing with ex-Justice Dept. officials

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ed colleagues with a draft
House committee investi- letter pushing Georgia of-
gating the Jan. 6, 2021 riot ficials to convene a spe-
at the U.S. Capitol has post- cial legislative session on
poned a hearing that was the election results. Clark
to feature dramatic testi- wanted the letter sent, but
mony from former Justice superiors at the Justice De-
Department officials who partment refused.
were pressured by then- A lawyer for Clark did not
President Donald Trump immediately return a phone
to pursue his false election message on Wednesday.
fraud theories. Clark's support led Trump to
The hearing had been openly contemplate nam-
scheduled for Wednesday, ing him as acting attorney
but the committee on Tues- general in place of Rosen.
day morning said that it had The situation came to a
been delayed. A spokes- head during a tense, hours-
man for the panel attribut- long Jan. 3, 2021 meet-
ed the postponement to "a ing at the White House in
number of scheduling fac- which Engel and Dono-
tors, including production ghue told Trump that they
timeline and availability of would resign from the Jus-
members and witnesses." A video exhibit plays as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. tice Department if Trump
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Re- Capitol continues to reveal its findings of a year-long investigation, at the Capitol in Washington, proceeded with his plan to
publican member of the Monday, June 13, 2022. fire Rosen and replace him
committee, said on Twitter Associated Press with Clark.q
that the hearing had been mented by the news me-
moved to next week as a dia, the hearing will give
way to "space out" the tes- the American public its
timony surrounding the in- most detailed glimpse of a
surrection, when crowds of near-revolt inside the Jus-
Trump supporters stormed tice Department as Trump
the Capitol and interrupt- contemplated replacing
ed the certification of Presi- the agency's top official
dent Joe Biden's victory. with a lower-level lawyer
The committee has already seen as more willing to ad-
held two hearings, includ- vance the president's false
ing a primetime one last claims that the election was
week that featured never- stolen. Several other senior
before-seen video of ex- officials warned Trump in a
tremists leading the deadly White House meeting that
siege. Another hearing is they'd resign if the leader-
set to take place on Thurs- ship change occurred.
day. Rosen took over the de-
The witnesses at Wednes- partment following the De-
day's hearing were to in- cember 2020 departure of
clude Jeffrey Rosen, who William Barr, who angered
was the acting attorney Trump by saying the de-
general at the time of the partment had not found
Capitol insurrection, as well fraud that could have af-
as two other former top of- fected the results of the
ficials at the Justice Depart- election. Trump quickly
ment, Richard Donoghue soured on Rosen, too, after
and Steven Engel. Lawyers the then-acting attorney
for all three men did not im- general rejected entreaties
mediately return messages from the president and the
seeking comment. White House to challenge
The witnesses, all of whom the election results.
have since left the Justice Around that time, the presi-
Department, are expected dent was introduced by
to testify about how Trump Rep. Scott Perry, a Penn-
sought to bend the depart- sylvania Republican and
ment to his political will ardent Trump backer, to
during the final days of his Jeffrey Clark, a little-known
administration by urging of- assistant attorney general
ficials to declare the elec- who postured himself as
tion as corrupt and to aid in willing to advance Trump's
his efforts to challenge the baseless voting fraud
results of the race won by claims.
Democrat Joe Biden. At one point, according
Though the lawyers' ac- to testimony provided to
counts have been docu- lawmakers, Clark present-