GOP senator dodges question on Trump’s praise of Putin
The House of Representatives voted 220-203 to refer ex-Trump White House aides Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino for prosecution on criminal contempt of Congress charges for defying subpoenas to produce documents and give evidence before the select committee investigating the 6 January insurrection.
Wednesay’s vote comes after both Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump testified before the committee within the past week. Both reportedly answered questions for several hours without invoking the Fifth Amendment, a break with various of Donald Trump’s other close associates.
The committee has also finally received a cache of emails belonging to former Trump lawyer John Eastman, who had tried to withhold them from the committee’s scrutiny citing various arguments that were rejected in court.
Meanwhile, six weeks after its launch, Trump’s Truth Social app has lost two senior executives. The app has been beset by tech problems and about 1.5 million people remain on the waiting list to join, unable to use it.
House votes to hold Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino in contempt of Congress
The House of Representatives voted 220-203 to refer two more ex-Trump White House aides for prosecution on criminal contempt of Congress charges for defying subpoenas to produce documents and give evidence before the select committee investigating the 6 January insurrection.
Just two Republicans — select committee members Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois — joined 218 Democrats on Wednesday to approve a resolution holding former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Daniel Scavino and ex-National Trade Council director Peter Navarro in contempt and recommending they be prosecuted for refusing to heed subpoenas issued as part of the nine-member panel’s probe into the worst attack on the US Capitol since Major General Robert Ross ordered British troops to it set ablaze in 1814.
Andrew Feinberg and Eric Garcia report from Washington, DC.
Oliver O’Connell7 April 2022 05:40
No proof of 2020 election fraud in Arizona AG letter
The Arizona attorney general released an interim report on Wednesday on his review of the 2020 election in Maricopa County.
Attorney general Mark Brnovich, who is in a tough GOP primary for US Senate, outlined his concerns with some election procedures in the report, but did not provide proof of any major issues despite six months of investigation.
Former president Donald Trump and his supporters have consistently claimed that his loss in Arizona in 2020 was marred by voter fraud.
In Wednesday’s 12-page letter addressed to Republican state Senate President Karen Fann, Mr Brnovich said some of the forms documenting the transportation of ballots were missing signatures or other information.
The issue has been raised by Mr Trump’s supporters who falsely claim the election was stolen from him.
But there has been no evidence produced of tampering, and Mr Brnovich didn’t offer any.
Mr Brnovich is courting the former president’s endorsement for his Senate run.
Sravasti Dasgupta7 April 2022 05:24
ICYMI: Jared Kushner gave ‘valuable’ details to Capitol riot committee
Jared Kushner, the one-time senior White House adviser in the Trump administration and the former president’s son-in-law, provided an hours-long testimony to the 6 January select committee on Thursday that lawmakers say was “really valuable”.
Johanna Chisholm reports.
Oliver O’Connell7 April 2022 04:59
ICYMI: Ivanka Trump testifies before Jan 6 committee
Ivanka Trump appeared remotely before the January 6 committee on Tuesday, committee sources revealed, as the panel’s investigation into her father’s role in a violent assault on…