January 6 Committee votes to keep former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark in contempt of Congress

The fall guys are starting to rise.

On Wednesday night, congressional committee investigating January 6 uprising found a second person “contempts Congress” for refusing to answer questions or hand over documents: a former highest-ranking Justice Department official.

This time it’s Jeffrey Clark, who served as assistant attorney general until President Donald Trump’s final week in office. Clark attempted to use the nation’s top law enforcement agency to investigate Trump’s ridiculous claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

The selection committee voted to find Clark “contempt of Congress” for refusing to answer questions during his impeachment on November 5, when he was bailed early in the all-day event. after only 90 minutes or so. Others questioned by the committee answered questions for hours on end, helping the panel determine who organized and inspired the violent attack on the Capitol.

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, chair of the committee, said that Clark simply walked out early and said, “I think we’re done.”

If you look at the transcript of Clark’s removal, Thompson said, “What you see there is contempt for Congress and the American people. Disregard the rule of law. Despise the Constitution”.

Thompson said Clark was “bound by oath” to defend the Constitution while “an all-out assault on the Constitution is underway” on Trump by undermining the election results. “It seems Mr. Clark is at the center of that effort,” he said.

However, the committee also revealed that it will give Clark one final chance this Saturday to make good on his offer to present the impeachment a second time and answer questions in response. oath — which he seems willing to do as long as he can plead for the Fifth Amendment. and did not answer some self-incriminating questions.

Rep. Liz Cheney, vice chairman of the Republican committee, said Clark couldn’t dodge the answers this time “simply because President Trump is trying to conceal inexplicable statements about the matter.” executive prerogative”.

The commission’s mandate “is not a game,” she said.

The committee voted unanimously to recommend contempt charges against Clark. The final decision is up to the House of Representatives, which will ultimately vote on whether to refer the matter to the United States Attorney’s Office for the district in Washington, DC.

The House did it with former Bannon, a former Trump adviser who has been indicted and is under criminal prosecution for contempt for Congress.