Former Trump aide says Trump “gleefully” watched footage of the Capitol riot on 6 January
Ivanka Trump, former President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter and one-time White House adviser, has been invited to meet with the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.
In a public letter that reveals some of the information that the committee has gathered to date, chair Bennie Thompson said they would like to question Ms Trump on her knowledge of various White House conversations relating to that day, as well as her father’s state of mind.
Mr Trump’s former press secretary Stephanie Grisham has previously told the committee that the then-president met with people in “off-the-books” rendezvous that only a small number of aides were made aware of, according to reports. She has provided the names of aides who may know the details of the meetings.
The former president was dealt a blow by the Supreme Court on Wednesday when the justices rejected his bid to block the release of White House documents about the riot in an 8-1 decision. Diaries, visitor logs, and other materials will not be kept confidential under executive privilege the court ruled.
Trump says everyone wanted vaccine when he was president
In an interview last night, former President Donald Trump claimed that everyone wanted to be vaccinated against Covid-19 when he was president, but after Joe Biden came into office some people won’t get the vaccine because they do not trust him.
Oliver O’Connell20 January 2022 18:51
Ivanka Trump spokesperson gives statement on committee request
A spokesperson for Ivanka Trump tells NBC’s Peter Alexander:
“Ivanka Trump just learned that the January 6 Committee issued a public letter asking her to appear. As the Committee already knows, Ivanka did not speak at the January 6 rally.”
“As she publicly stated that day at 3:15pm, ‘any security breach or disrespect to our law enforcement is unacceptable. The violence must stop immediately. Please be peaceful.’”
Oliver O’Connell20 January 2022 18:25
Special grand jury requested by Georgia prosecutor in Trump investigation
The chief prosecutor in Fulton County, Georgia has requested a special grand jury as part of her investigation into Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the state’s results in the 2020 presidential election.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who launched her probe nearly one year ago, follows the former president’s phone call with Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he appeared to pressure him to “find” votes that would overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
Oliver O’Connell20 January 2022 18:25
Ivanka Trump invited to meet committee in early February
Rep Bennie Thompson suggests an early February meeting for Ivanka Trump to be questioned by the Capitol riot select committee:
We would like to meet with you soon, but we also want to accommodate your schedule. We propose meeting with you on February 3 or 4, 2022. Please let us know whether one of those dates will fit with your schedule, or connect us with your counsel so we can coordinate on scheduling. If you are unavailable on those dates, we can arrange a time during the week of February 7, 2022.
Oliver O’Connell20 January 2022 18:10
Ivanka Trump letter includes texts between Sean Hannity and Kayleigh McEnany
The committee is also keen to ask Ms Trump about her father’s state of mind during this period and Sean Hannity’s efforts to stop the president from talking about a “stolen election”.
A text conversation between Mr Hannity and then-White House Press Secretary Kayeigh McEnany on the day after the Capitol riot is included in the letter. It lays out a five-point approach for conversations with the president.
The first item is “No more stolen election talk”, the second is “Yes, impeachment and 25th amendment are real, and many people will quit…”
Ms McEnany responds: “Love that. Thank you. That is the playbook. I will help reinforce…”
The press secretary also agreed with Mr Hannity’s recommendation to keep Mr Trump away from certain people. “No more crazy people,” said the Fox News presenter underlining it as “Key now”.
Ms McEnany replied: “Yes 100%”.
Oliver O’Connell20 January 2022 18:00
Prosecutors want to ask Ivanka Trump about NY apartment
Prosecutors from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office want to talk to Ivanka Trump about a Park Avenue apartment she leased from her family’s eponymous real estate company that was offered to her for purchase at a price far lower than the unit’s public valuation, court documents reveal.
In a motion asking a New York state judge to order Ms Trump to appear for a deposition with investigators from the attorney general’s office, the prosecutors allege she “obtained apparently extraordinarily favourable terms” for renting an apartment at the Trump Park Avenue condominium building, with her monthly payments at “a mere fraction” of what the general public would have paid.
Oliver O’Connell20 January 2022 17:52
Committee seeks Ivanka’s testimony on whether Trump held up National Guard deployment
From the letter to Ms Trump:
Third, the Select Committee is evaluating whether the President did or did not give any order to deploy the National Guard to respond to the violence on January 6th. Acting Secretary Chris Miller, who was in the chain of command and reported directly to the President, has testified under oath that the President never contacted him at any time on January 6th, and never, at any time, issued him any order to deploy the National Guard. Miller did speak with Vice President Pence on January 6th, but not with President Trump. The Committee is aware that certain White House staff devoted time during the violent riot to rebutting questions regarding whether the President was attempting to hold up deployment of the guard, and that Press Secretary McEnany issued a tweet that afternoon suggesting that the guard would be deployed (this occurred hours later). But the Committee has identified no evidence that President Trump issued any order, or took any other action, to deploy the guard that day. Nor does it appear that President Trump made any calls at all to the Department of Justice or any other law enforcement agency to request deployment of their personnel to the Capitol.
The Select Committee respectfully requests that you share any information you may have on this topic.
Oliver O’Connell20 January 2022 17:46
Read the Jan 6 committee’s full letter to Ivanka Trump
The full letter from the January 6 committee to Ivanka Trump is available to read here.
Topics included in the letter are specific incidents in which Trump is said to have attempted to persuade Mike Pence to participate in a plan to not certify the election, and later his tweet against the vice president and what the mob did next.
Oliver O’Connell20 January 2022 17:38
Statement on Jan 6 committee and Ivanka Trump
A statement has been released by the January 6 select committee:
Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) today announced that the Select Committee is requesting that Ivanka Trump provide information for the committee’s investigation into the violence of January 6th and its causes. In a letter to Ms. Trump seeking a voluntary interview with the committee, Chairman Thompson underscored evidence obtained by the Select Committee that Ms. Trump was in direct contact with the former President at key moments on January 6th and that she may have information relevant to other matters critical to the Select Committee’s investigation.
Ms. Trump apparently has direct knowledge of the former President’s attempt to persuade Vice President Pence to take action to stop the counting of electoral votes. Chairman Thompson wrote, “As January 6th approached, President Trump attempted on multiple occasions to persuade Vice President Pence to participate in his plan. One of the President’s discussions with the Vice President occurred by phone on the morning of January 6th. You were present in the Oval Office and observed at least one side of that telephone conversation.”
The Select Committee is also seeking information from Ms. Trump about concerns in the office of the White House Counsel, from Members of Congress, and among the Vice President’s staff about plans to pressure Vice President Pence to overturn the election. “[T]he Committee would like to discuss any other conversations you may have witnessed or participated in regarding the President’s plan to obstruct or impede the counting of electoral votes,” wrote Chairman Thompson.
Ms. Trump’s role and actions on January 6th as the riot was underway at the Capitol are also a key focus for the Select Committee. Chairman Thompson wrote, “Testimony obtained by the Committee indicates that members of the White House staff requested your assistance on multiple occasions to intervene in an attempt to persuade President Trump to address the ongoing lawlessness and violence on Capitol Hill.”
Given Ms. Trump’s presence in the White House on January 6th, the Select Committee is seeking her knowledge about the former President’s actions related to the deployment of the National Guard to respond to the violence. “The Committee is aware that certain White House staff devoted time during the violent riot to rebutting questions regarding whether the President was attempting to hold up deployment of the guard[…]. But the Committee has identified no evidence that President Trump issued any order, or took any other action, to deploy the guard that day. Nor does it appear that President Trump made any calls at all to the Department of Justice or any other law enforcement agency to request deployment of their personnel to the Capitol,” wrote Chairman Thompson.
The Select Committee believes that Ms. Trump may have knowledge about efforts to advance unsupported claims about the 2020 election in the aftermath of the January 6th riot. Chairman Thompson wrote, “The Committee has information suggesting that White House staff and others were attempting to persuade President Trump to halt his statements regarding a ‘stolen election’ and were working directly with other supporters outside the White House in an effort to persuade President Trump to do so.”
Oliver O’Connell20 January 2022 17:25
Fulton County DA requests grand jury to investigate Trump’s efforts to overturn Georgia election
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is requesting a special grand jury to aid in her investigation of former President Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In a letter to Christopher S Brasher, chief judge of Fulton County’s Superior Court, Ms Willis said the move was needed because a “significant number of witnesses and prospective witnesses have refused to cooperate with the investigation absent a subpoena requiring their testimony.”
Oliver O’Connell20 January 2022 17:17