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A2 u.s. news
Monday 18 July 2022

Panel: Hearing to show Trump's Jan. 6 'dereliction of duty'

By HOPE YEN tinues to heat up. have served to egg on the
Associated Press The committee says it con- mob. "We will go through
WASHINGTON (AP) — A tinues to receive fresh evi- pretty much minute by min-
House committee's prime- dence each day and isn't ute during that time frame,
time hearing Thursday will ruling out additional hear- from the time he left the
offer the most compel- ings or interviews with a stage at the Ellipse, came
ling evidence yet of then- bevy of additional people back to the White House,
President Donald Trump's close to the president. One and really sat in the White
"dereliction of duty" on the such figure is Steve Ban- House, in the dining room,
day of the Jan. 6 insurrec- non, whose trial begins with his advisers urging him
tion, with new witnesses this week on criminal con- continuously to take ac-
detailing his failure to stem tempt of Congress charges tion, to take more action,"
an angry mob storming the for refusing to comply with Luria said.
Capitol, committee mem- the House committee's The hearing comes at a
bers said Sunday. subpoena. critical juncture point for
"This is going to open peo- From left, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., The committee also issued the panel, which is rac-
ple's eyes in a big way," staff counsel Dan George, Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., an extraordinary subpoe- ing to wrap up findings for
said Rep. Adam Kinzing- Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Vice Chair Rep. na last week to the Secret a final report this fall. The
er, R-Ill., a member of the Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., staff counsel Service to produce texts committee had originally
House committee investi- Candyce Phoenix, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., and Rep. Elaine by Tuesday from Jan. 5 expected at this point to
Luria, D-Va., sit on the dais as the House select committee
gating the riot who will help investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing and Jan. 6, 2021, following be concluding much of its
lead Thursday's session with at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 12, 2022. conflicting reports about investigation with a final
Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va. Associated Press whether they were delet- hearing but is now consid-
"The president didn't do ed. ering possible options for
anything." gation, the House Jan. 6 what may be its last hear- But panel members say additional interviews and
After a year-long investi- panel is seeking to wrap up ing, even as its probe con- Thursday's hearing will be hearings, panel members
the most specific to date said.
in laying out and weaving "This investigation is very
together previously known much ongoing," said Rep.
details on how Trump's ac- Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. "The
tions were at odds with his fact that a series of hear-
constitutional legal duty to ings is going to be conclud-
stop the Jan. 6 riot. Unlike ed this Thursday doesn't
members of the public who mean that our investiga-
generally have no duty to tion is over. It's very active,
take action to prevent a new witnesses are coming
crime, the Constitution re- forward, additional infor-
quires a president to "take mation is coming forward."
care that the laws be faith- For instance, the commit-
fully executed." tee took a rare step last
"The commander in chief week in issuing a subpoena
is the only person in the to the Secret Service, an
Constitution whose duty is executive branch depart-
explicitly laid out to ensure ment. That came after it
that the laws are faithfully received a closed briefing
executed," Luria said. "I from the Homeland Secu-
look at it as a dereliction of rity Department watchdog
duty. (Trump) didn't act. He that the Secret Service had
had a duty to act." deleted texts from around
Thursday's hearing will be Jan. 6, according to two
the first in the prime-time people familiar with the
slot since the June 9 debut matter.
that was viewed by an es- The finding raised the star-
timated 20 million people. tling prospect of lost evi-
Luria said the hearing will dence that could shed fur-
highlight additional testi- ther light on Trump's actions
mony from White House during the insurrection, par-
counsel Pat Cipollone and ticularly after earlier testi-
other witnesses, not yet mony about his confronta-
seen before, "who will add tion with security as he tried
a lot of value and informa- to join supporters at the
tion to the events of that Capitol.
critical time on January "That's what we have to get
6." She cited Trump's inac- to the bottom of," said Luria,
tion that day for more than regarding possibly missing
three hours, along with a texts. "Where are these text
tweet that afternoon criti- messages? Can they be
cizing Vice President Mike recovered? And we have
Pence for lacking courage subpoenaed them be-
to contest Democrat Joe cause they're legal records
Biden's win in the 2020 pres- that we need to see for the
idential election that may committee."q