Five most interesting moments from Jan. 6 transcripts
A House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol is ending its business by releasing thousands of pages of records.
Interviews with various figures surrounding former President Trump contain many bombshells.
Here are the 5 most interesting things mentioned in the interview.
Hutchinson: Meadows burned documents during migration
Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, speaks at a hearing before a House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol. (Peter Afflier)
Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson told a House committee on Jan. 6 that then-President Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, regularly burned documents during the transition period, accusing him of ” Probably 12 times” said he did it.
The Commission interviewed Hutchinson, one of the Commission’s star witnesses, several times. In one of her interviews, she recalled that Meadows frequently burned documents, but did not identify a specific number.
“I mean, it’s hard. I’d say once or twice a week,” Hutchinson said. “Maybe a dozen, maybe a dozen or so, but this is the period from December to mid-January, and that’s also when we started lighting the fireplaces.”
Hutchinson, who was Meadows’ chief of staff, said she was in Meadows’ office multiple times when he burned the papers. ) and included an example of Meadows saying, “I put some things in the fireplace.”
“His door was propped open,” said Hutchinson. “But I don’t know what the document was or if it was a copy of the original.”
Trump Considers Full Pardon for Capitol Violations
Former President Donald Trump arrives at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., to deliver a speech as he announces he will aim for the White House again in 2024. (Associated Press)
In the final days of his presidency, Trump considered the possibility of a “total pardon” for the Capitol violations, according to Johnny McEntee, Trump’s former human resources director.
“I remember walking into the Oval Office one day and it was being discussed, and the president was like, ‘Well, what if we forgive the people who were walking in the building and weren’t violent?’ ‘I remember saying,'” McEntee said. Committee.
However, according to McEntee, the idea was overruled by Pat Cipollone, who served as a White House adviser. did.
“I know he hinted at a blanket pardon for everyone on January 6th, but I would like to inform all staff and everyone involved that he will not be in office on January 6th. I know he spoke to the committee just before he left.
“Ciporone said no,” said McEntee. “I remember Cipollone asking, ‘Well, why would anyone need a pardon?'”
January 6 Commission agrees to hide testimony from DOJ
The House Jan. 6 committee will hold a business meeting on Monday Dec. 19, 2022 to vote on the criminal referral and make a final presentation before releasing the report. (Greg Nash)
A Jan. 6 commission indicated that it had agreed to hide the testimony of many witnesses from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
According to the transcript, the commission agreed to retain testimony from the Justice Department unless it explained additional offenses or the commission suspected witnesses of perjury.
For example, the Commission, who was sentenced to two years’ probation in September for conduct related to the January 6 riots, told Stephen Ayers, who met with the Commission in June, that his attorney and ” We have agreed not to share the details of the incident.” What he told the DOJ before sentencing. ”
The DOJ requested minutes from the panel over the summer, but was denied by chairman Benny Thompson, D-Miss.
The commission agreed in July to share the transcripts of 20 witnesses with the DOJ, but Mr. Thompson said he never submitted those documents.
QAnon conspiracy in the White House
Supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory have been vocal supporters of Trump. (Getty)
Hutchinson’s testimony also revealed discussions about QAnon, a far-right political conspiracy theory, taking place at the White House.
Hutchinson told the committee that Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Georgia) called QAnon directly on Trump and Meadows after her supporters spread conspiracy theories about the outcome of the 2020 election. He said he brought it up several times.
“I remember Marjorie Taylor Green covering QAnon a few times, but in front of the president and privately with Mark,” Hutchinson told the commission.
In a separate interview with the panel, Hutchinson detailed the interaction she and Meadows had with Greene in Georgia. I told him that there are many QAnon supporters traveling to Washington, D.C.
“MS. Greene came over and started telling us about QAnon and QAnon going to a rally.” rice field.”
Donald Trump Jr. pressured the White House to condemn the riots
A transcript of the Commission’s interview with Donald Trump Jr. revealed that the president’s son had pressured Meadows to get the former president to condemn the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.(Getty )
The minutes detail text messages exchanged between Donald Trump Jr. and Meadows, suggesting that the president’s eldest son influenced Meadows to endorse his father against violence in the Capitol. tried to persuade
The texts have been seen before, but the transcripts provided more information about Trump Jr.’s thinking when he sent them.
“He has to condemn this (expletive) ASAP,” Trump Jr. texted Meadows. “They try to destroy his entire legacy on this if it gets any worse.”
Meadows responded to Trump Jr. by saying, “I’m working hard.” I accept. ”
In an interview, Trump Jr. said he could not contact the former president directly because he does not text. But even in Overture to Meadows, Trump Jr. said he wasn’t sure there were any Trump supporters in the riots.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were people in this group who acted as agitators,” Trump Jr. told the panel.