1/6 Committee Digest

Country First presents the next edition of The Digest to highlight the important work of the 1/6 Committee. Our aim is to make this available to our members within 24 hours after each hearing.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE NEXT HEARING:

TUESDAY, JUNE 21 AT 1 PM ET

In Case You Missed It: 

• Rep. Adam Kinzinger appeared this morning on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" to discuss the latest developments on the 1/6 Committee and threats to his family's life.
• Rep. Adam Kinzinger appeared on the June 12th episode of "Face the Nation" to discuss the wider context of January 6th and Trump’s orchestrated lead-up to the attacks on the Capitol as well as the problem of loyalty to party or person over country and oath.
• Rep. Adam Kinzinger appeared on the June 14th episode of Fox News’s “Your World” to discuss how the threat of January 6th isn’t over and is omnipresent.  

Who Gave Testimony in Hearing #2:

• Greg Jacob, White House lawyer to former Vice President Pence
• Judge Michael Luttig, legal expert and advisor to Vice President Pence

Here are the major developments from the committee: 

Judge Michael Luttig Stresses the Fact that Trump and his Allies Are Still a Threat

Wednesday’s hearing focused on how Trump and his allies attempted to coerce Mike Pence into illegally and unconstitutionally overturning the election results.

On January 6th, Pence was in true danger and the mob came within 40 feet of him while he and his security detail moved to safety. At the end of Wednesday’s testimony, Michael Luttig, legal expert and former advisor to Mike Pence stated that Trump and his allies still pose a clear and present danger to the United States.

Additionally, Luttig voiced his fears that if Trump were to run and lose again in the 2024 Presidential Election that he would most likely succeed in his renewed efforts to overturn the election results. 

Legal Scholars agree that VP Pence did not have authority to decide the outcome of the 2020 election

Retired judge of the federal court of appeals, Judge J. Michael Luttig debunked the false legal theory that Trump lawyer John Eastman devised to grant the vice president the power to decide the next president of the United States.

In challenging this legal theory, Luttig argues that the framers of the U.S. Constitution would not have granted one person the power to decide who the next president of the United States would be, citing the checks and balances system that the United States government is based upon.

Greg Jacob, the former Counsel to Vice President Pence, declared that "our review of text, history and frankly just common sense, all confirmed the vice president's first instinct on that point," which was that Pence did not have any authority to decide the outcome of the election. Ultimately, while some of the legal scholars who testified disagreed on the precise interpretation of the 12th amendment to the U.S. constitution, they all agreed that the amendment does not grant the vice president the authority to overturn election results or to decide the winner of the election.

Retired conservative federal judge J. Michael Luttig gave testimony in which he said that if the vice president had gone along with Eastman’s scheme, it would have been "tantamount to a revolution," and "the first constitutional crisis since the founding of the republic."

Eastman Sought Presidential Pardon from Trump after Jan. 6 Attacks 

In what could be interpreted as an acknowledgement of guilt and/or fear of prosecution, Trump lawyer John Eastman requested to"be on the pardon list" following the attack on the Capitol, via an email to former Trump attorney Rudy Guiliani.

Eastman was not granted a pardon, and it is unclear whether or not Guiliani took any action after receiving the email. Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) stated "the fact that he was looking into a pardon for himself as a lawyer suggests either consciousness of guilt or fear that he might be guilty." 

The lawyer also knew that the former President’s actions were illegal, according to former Vice President Pence’s top legal advisor. In a White House discussion just days before the violent attack, Eastman admitted to the illegality of the former President’s scheme to retain power, however the former President dismissed the warning. 

Former Vice President was just Steps Away From the Angry Mob that Wanted to "Hang Him"

After harrowing new video and photos were released by the 1/6 Committee, the American public finally knows just how close the former Vice President was to an angry mob that wanted to hang him for refusing to decertify the election. A mere 40 feet stood between the second-in-command of the nation and a group of far-right conspiracy theorists that were hunting him for upholding the Constitution. 

After being told the insurrectionists had breached the Capitol, the then-Vice President and his family were evacuated to a secure location; a parking garage and loading dock. Despite pleas from his Secret Service, Pence refused to leave the Capitol complex, telling his agent, "I know you, I trust you, but you're not the one behind the wheel." 

1/6 Committee Has Requested Ginni Thomas Testimony 

Committee chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss), along with Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo) extended an invitation to Ginni Thomas early in the hearing Thursday to testify regarding her connection to the Jan. 6th attacks.

Recent reports have revealed potential communication and email between Thomas and Trump lawyer John Eastman, who concocted an illegal and unconstitutional plan for Trump to cling to power.

Ginni Thomas is the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Eastman is former Supreme Court Clerk to Justice Thomas.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE NEXT HEARING:

TUESDAY, JUNE 21 AT 1 PM ET