A former assistant attorney general who aligned himself with former President Donald Trump after he lost the 2020 election has declined to be fully interviewed by a House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, ending a deposition after around 90 minutes Friday.
Jeffrey Clark, who championed Trump's efforts to overturn the election, presented the committee with a letter saying he would not answer questions based on Trump's assertions of executive privilege, including in an ongoing court case, according to a person familiar with the closed-door meeting who was granted anonymity to discuss it.Clark, who was subpoenaed by the committee to appear, would not answer any questions from reporters as he departed.
"It's astounding that someone who so recently held a position of public trust to uphold the Constitution would now hide behind vague claims of privilege by a former President, refuse to answer questions about an attack on our democracy, and continue an assault on the rule of law," Thompson said. U.S. President Joe Biden has so far waived executive privilege on nearly all the documents that the committee has asked for, citing the panel's need to investigate the violent attack.
The interviews have included a broad swath of former and current executive branch officials, Trump campaign aides, law enforcement officials and others. It is unclear whether the panel will move to hold Clark in contempt of Congress, as they did with Bannon. Thompson said the committee needs the information Clark is withholding and is willing "to take strong measures" to hold him accountable.
"The Jan. 6 riot happened in the Capitol," said U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. "That is literally Congress' house."
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