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:

TENTATIVELY THURSDAY, JULY 21

In Case You Missed It: 

• Rep. Kinzinger appeared with Wolf Blitzer to discuss the 1/6 Committee’s findings
• Rep. Kinzinger spoke to ABC about new witnesses coming forward

Who Gave Testimony:

• Jason Van Tatenhove, Former Oath Keepers Spokesman
• Stephen Ayres, Convicted Rioter

Here are the major developments from the committee: 

Former Oath Keepers’ Spokesperson Testified That January 6th Could Have Been More Disastrous and Fears for Future Elections

The 1/6 Committee heard testimony on Tuesday from Jason Van Tatenhove, a former spokesperson for the Oath Keepers, a far-right, anti-government militia group. Because of the time Van Tatenhove spent with the group, he knew of the violence it encouraged. January 6th could have been much worse, according to Van Tatenhove, because of the Oath Keepers’ militia mindset. 

"They may not like to call themselves a militia, but they are, they’re a violent militia," he testified to the 1/6 Committee. He stated that the violent attack that unfolded on January 6th was representative of the Oath Keepers, and that he believes them to be a "very dangerous organization."

Van Tatenhove also testified about his fear for the future of American democracy, expressing concern that, if Donald Trump were to run again in 2024, his rhetoric could again cause extremist groups to take action, or be called to even more violence. 

Convicted Capitol Rioter Summoned by Trump

Stephen Ayres, a convicted Capitol rioter, expressed his reasoning for attending the January 6th "Stop the Steal" rally that devolved into a deadly, coordinated attack on the Capitol building. 

After continuously listening to the lies of the former president, Ayres said, "I felt like I needed to be down here."

Ayres, who has been convicted of illegally entering the United States Capitol building on January 6th, spoke of the damage done to his life by his decision to attend the rally, which included losing his job, his reputation, and nearly his family because of the lies of the former president. He also testified that he did not expect to go to the Capitol that day, but was "following what [Trump] said."

Although he is not, and was never, a member of a far-right extremist group like the Oath Keepers or the Proud Boys, he said he felt comfortable marching with them because it felt like they were on his side. Ayers has since left social media and has expressed remorse for his role in the tragic day, urging people to "take the blinders off. Make sure you step back and see what’s going on. Before it’s too late."

Ayers is currently awaiting sentencing. 

Former Twitter Employee Speaks Out Against Twitter’s Inaction Regarding Trump’s Rhetoric 

The 1/6 Committee shared audio of an interview the Committee conducted with a former Twitter employee. Remaining anonymous, the phone call interview revealed the nervous buzz at Twitter due to the former president’s rhetoric. 

In the interview, the employee stated that there were those at Twitter who were unnerved by Trump’s language surrounding the 2020 election. This verbiage resulted in users on Twitter answering with obvious and strong intentions of going to the Capitol on January 6th to "Stop the Steal" through the use of violence, especially after Trump tweeted on December 19th that said "Be there, will be wild!"

As Trump continued to tweet about "stopping the steal" and encouraging his supporters to join him at a rally on January 6th, the employee stated that Twitter did not take action to suspend his account, even though it was clear there was a risk of violence. The employee then went on to say that if it was another user who had caused followers to respond with violence, their account would have been immediately suspended. The employee also felt that Twitter enjoyed the fact that they were Donald Trump’s preferred social media platform. 

After January 6th, Twitter finally suspended Trump’s account. 

The Former President Summoned a Violent Mob, Committee Affirms

According to text messages and photos shared by the committee at Tuesday’s hearing, two of former President Trump’s trusted advisors, Michael Flynn and Roger Stone, were in contact with right-wing extremist groups the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, and the groups began to work together in the days leading up to the attack on the Capitol. 

The committee also focused the day’s testimony on a December 18th, 2020 Oval Office meeting. Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone stated that he arrived at a meeting where advisers Sidney Powell, Patrick Byrne, and Michael Flynn were coming up with theories of voter fraud to explain how the election was stolen. The group even went as far as suggesting that Trump should seize voting machines by declaring a state of national emergency. The meeting then reportedly devolved into a screaming match between Flynn and White House lawyer Eric Herschmann. 

The committee notes that this meeting was essential to proving that Trump had plans to stay in power, and is also remarkable as being the catalyst for January 6th.  It was just the next day, December 19th, that Trump tweeted that his followers should amass in DC on for the "Stop the Steal" rally.

Former President Accused of Contacting Witnesses By 1/6 Committee

While the revelations in Tuesday’s hearing focused on the former president’s past decisions, Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney used her closing remarks to call out the former president directly for attempting to intervene in the 1/6 Committee’s investigation. 

Cheney and the committee allege that Trump "tried to call a witness in our investigation. A witness you have not yet seen in these hearings. That person declined to answer or respond to President Trump's call and instead alerted their lawyer to the call."

Congresswoman Cheney and the committee previously warned those attempting to interrupt the investigation, but had not named any specific individuals. 

Congresswoman Cheney went on to confirm that the Department of Justice had been notified of witness tampering by the former president, "this committee has supplied that information to the Department of Justice."

After a marathon hearing, the revelation sent shock waves throughout the country. 

"Unhinged" Mob Summoned as White House Aides Fret Over Trump's Rhetoric

In new video testimony and texts obtained by the 1/6 Committee, White House aides were worried about the rhetoric of the former president as he delivered a charge to an angry group of his supporters: March to the Capitol and take it back. 

Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD), outlined the aides' anxiety from the heated Oval Office meeting between Sidney Powell, Rudy Guiliani, and Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne. Official White House lawyers, speechwriters, and staff worried over Trump’s comments about then-Vice President Mike Pence. 

Even some of the most loyal Trump supporters, like former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said "a sitting president asking for civil war… I have lost faith."  On January 6th, he texted Katrina Pierson, Trump’s former spokeswoman, and said Trump’s "rhetoric killed someone."

The hearing, led by Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), provided evidence that Trump and his allies were attempting to overthrow a free and fair election by summoning some of the most violent extremist groups to the nation’s Capitol. 

Sitting Members of Congress Attended Meetings on How to Overthrow a Free and Fair Election

Members of Congress attended a December 21, 2020 meeting at the White House to discuss something now known as the “Eastman Plan.”  The plan was to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence into delaying election certification, allowing for a new slate of “alternate electors” to keep Trump in power. Those in attendance included Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), and Scottt Perry (R-PA), as well as others. 

White House visitor logs confirm this meeting in the Oval Office. In the meeting, John Eastman, a conservative lawyer, drafted a memo to give to Pence outlining how to stop the certification of votes and reinstall Trump as President.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE NEXT HEARING:

TENTATIVELY THURSDAY, JULY 21