Some of Trump’s allies slow walk, stonewall or snub on the Jan. 6 committee

[ad_1]

“The dangerous and false statement that I am trying to avoid or avoid a subpoena is a disgrace,” Scavino tweeted in October. “There was NOT ONE attempt to contact/serve me when I was in Mar a Lago for 6 days or go home to NY for 8 days thereafter!”

One of the first witnesses subpoenaed by the House select committee in September for information leading up to and during the events on Jan. 6, Scavino was eventually served. He hired a knowledgeable lawyer, quietly interacted with the committee and still did not offer testimony. In his witnessing limbo, he still appears in public with Trump.

Scavino was just one of many Trump allies who were slow to walk, stonewall or avoid the committee on Jan. 6-all while doubling their allegiance to Trump. Sources at CNN say this is a balancing act for Trump loyalists trying to decide whether to cooperate with the congressional investigation aimed at understanding the events that took place on Jan. 6 and prevent further attacks on democracy. Some quietly gave documents and testimonies. But nearly a dozen others have filed lawsuits challenging the committee’s legitimacy.

For some of Trump’s allies, the legal effects or risks to their reputations are worth trying to stay in Trump’s good grace as he looks at another run for the White House. Witnesses to Mar-a-Lago are still coming out, bragging about their conversation with the former President and predicting his return to the Oval Office.

“That’s 100% of the calculation,” said Alyssa Farah, a CNN political commentator and former Trump communications director who worked with the committee and gave the deposition. “What’s the grip of death on the Republican Party right now is the idea of ​​Donald Trump running again in 2024, and people don’t want to risk losing their stature to him.”

A Trump spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

A spokesman for the committee said the panel was “working to give Americans answers about a violent attack on democracy.”

“The hundreds of witnesses who have provided information to the Select Committee so far are voluntary or in compliance with the law and in compliance with a Select Committee subpoena,” the spokesperson said. “Those who try to hinder the work of the committee are faced with a simple decision: change course and cooperate or risk enforcement action.”

Scavino first met Trump when he was 16 years old working on a golf course in New York. Since then he has spent decades on Trump’s side, rising as director of social media and deputy chief of staff when Trump was in the White House.

These days, he still clings to the former President.

In December, Scavino announced on social media that he was on his way to Mar-a-Lago, eventually posting a photo from an event there.

When Trump traveled to Atlanta for Game 4 of the World Series and took part in the controversial “Tomahawk Chop,” Scavino was in a private box with him.

When Trump appeared at a rally in Iowa in October, he tore up the committee: “The new obsession of the left is the unelected committee,” Trump told the crowd. “They have an un-select committee.”

Scavino, whose lawyer declined to comment for this story, was also there – sharing the perspective behind the rope line with his followers on social media.

Roger Stone, a longtime Trump ally and sometimes political adviser who has been subpoenaed by the committee, opted for another route to avoid answering questions: He claimed his right against inclusion in himself, pleading the Fifth Amendment.

“I question the legitimacy of this inquiry,” Stone said, after emerging from his December meeting with the House select committee, where investigators hope to learn more about Stone’s activities at a rally in January. 5, among other questions. “This is witch hunt 3.0.”

Stone has a tree of history in congressional investigations. After his last appearance with lawmakers in 2017, during the investigation in Russia, he was convicted of lying to Congress and tampering with witnesses. Trump later forgave him.

In this case, Stone quickly pointed out to reporters that he was not at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and insisted he had no part in planning the violence. However, in his appearance at the rally a day earlier, he reiterated the baseless claim that the election was stolen and told attendees, “I will join you tomorrow shoulder to shoulder.”

“Because I know Donald Trump-and I’ve known him for 40 years-just because I know some male members of the Proud Boys, just because I’ve interacted with members of the Oath Keepers isn’t that means that I have full legal responsibility for everything that happened on Jan. 6, which I knew nothing of and I wasn’t present, ”Stone said at an event, according to a video posted on Facebook in September.

Grant Smith, Stone’s attorney, said, “He contacted the Select Committee and showed up if necessary. … Mr. Stone was unaware of any of the circumstances that led to the illegal activities that took place at the Capitol the day before. that. “

Meanwhile, Stone continues to express his support for Trump. He appeared at an event in December in Mar-a-Lago, smiling widely at a photo posted by another visitor on social media.

In late November, Stone posted on his social media that he had a “great chat” with Trump.

“Donald Trump is my first, second and third choice for 2024,” Stone wrote.

Operatives like Stone and Scavino have become so enmeshed in Trump’s brand that it’s hardly surprising that they’re sticking with him, Farah said.

“There’s a certain sect of the Republican Party and those close to the former President, who never want to fall into his good grace,” Farah said. “Where else are they going? He’s their lifeline.”

While there is likely little the Jan. 6 committee can do about witnesses widely calling for the Fifth Amendment, other potential witnesses may pay a higher personal price for their loyalty to Trump.

Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows provided thousands of documents to the committee. But he declined to testify about his knowledge of efforts to overthrow the election and the events leading up to and during the Jan. 6 insurgency, insisting on protecting some of his conversations with the former President under pressure. claim executive privilege.

The House voted to recommend the Department of Justice pursue criminal contempt cases against Meadows.

A fixture in Trump’s orbit, Meadows was spotted at an event in November in Mar-a-Lago, more than a month after he was subpoenaed. But his relationship with Trump grew amid a collapse from some of the documents Meadows provided to the select committee as well as a book Meadows wrote with embarrassing revelations about Trump, a source told CNN .

Meadows sued the committee and used right-wing media appearances to flatter Trump with praise and attempt to rewrite history Jan. 6, insisting Trump acted quickly to keep people safe, despite opposite of the evidence.

“It’s about Donald Trump and about actually chasing him again,” Meadows said in an interview with Fox News in December.

A representative for Meadows declined to comment.

For Steve Bannon, a right-wing firebrand and former White House strategist of Trump, his opposition to the committee could be a badge of support for the Trump movement.

Investigators expect to ask Bannon about his alleged efforts to persuade Trump to focus on Jan. 6 and other events leading up to that day, including what he said on Jan. 5 that, “All hell is going to break loose tomorrow. “

After rejecting a subpoena from the committee, Bannon was charged with criminal contempt by Congress and pleaded not guilty. He declined to comment.

This is Bannon’s second federal indictment in two years. Although the last time he faced the charges, Trump forgave him.

Although Bannon’s relationship with Trump has often been hot and cold, Bannon clarified that his loyalty to the former President still remains. He used his podcast to encourage Trump supporters – specifically those who falsely believe the 2020 election was stolen – to run for higher office, take seats on local school boards and even election officials.

In a recent episode of the podcast, Bannon predicted that it would be only hours before Trump returned to the Oval Office.

“We’re going to the beach and you’re going to have landing teams, beachhead teams and all the nomenclature they use when President Trump wins again in 2024 – or before,” he said.

CNN’s Jeff Simon, Gabby Orr and Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report.

[ad_2]