Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., And Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Wing. panel investigating the Capitol insurrection.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., Who led much of the hearing on Thursday, highlighted a Jan. 11 email Brooks sent to a White House employee recommending pardons for himself, Gaetz and the 147 Republican members of Congress “who voted in favor of rejecting him.” the voting presentations of the Arizona and Pennsylvania Electoral College. “
After the hearing, Brooks shared a copy of his email with Molly Michael, Trump’s executive assistant, with reporters.
Part of the video presentation during Thursday’s select House committee hearing. (Home TV)
Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Trump special aide, said in a pre-recorded testimony that Gaetz and Brooks had advocated for a general preventive pardon for several members and that Gaetz was personally pushing for a pardon for himself. Hutchinson also said Gaetz had been pushing for a pardon “since early December,” but did not know why.
Hutchinson also said Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, and Scott Perry, R-Pa., All asked for pardons. He said that although Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, had not personally contacted Hutchinson to ask for a pardon, Hutchinson had “heard this [Greene] he had applied for pardon at the White House Council Office [deputy counsel Pat Philbin]. ”
Hutchinson added that Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, had asked him if the White House was going to pardon members of Congress, but had not specifically asked for one for himself.
A video of MP Matt Gaetz, who allegedly asked the White House for a presidential pardon in December, is shown at the select committee hearing. (Jonathan Ernst / Reuters)
In his own previously recorded video testimony, former White House chief adviser Eric Herschmann said Gaetz was seeking a particularly broad pardon.
“The general tone was that we could be prosecuted because we were on the defensive of the president’s positions on these things,” Herschmann said of Gaetz. “The forgiveness I was discussing, asking for, was as broad as you could describe, from the beginning of time to today for anything.”
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Gaetz is currently under investigation by the Justice Department for having paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and violating sex trafficking laws by transporting her across state borders. In April 2021, the New York Times reported that in the final weeks of Trump’s term, Gaetz had “privately asked the White House for general preventive pardons for him and unidentified congressional allies for any crime they may have.” having committed, according to two people. spoke of the discussions “.
In addition, former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, John McEntee, said he knew Gaetz had asked for pardon.
“He told me he had asked [White House chief of staff Mark Meadows] for a pardon, “McEntee said of Gaetz, adding that he had heard a general pardon for anyone involved with the Jan. 6” mentioned. “
In a tweet after the hearing, Gaetz did not refer to any specific allegations, but described the Jan. 6 committee as “unconstitutional.”
“The Jan. 6 Committee is an unconstitutional political demonstration. It is rapidly losing the interest of the American people and is now resorting to the application of federal law to political opponents,” Gaetz said.
In a statement to Yahoo News, Gohmert denied having asked for a pardon for himself and said he asked for pardons for other people, specifically “members of the U.S. service and military contractors who were hooked by the justice system because superiors played politics as well as a civilian. leader “.
“These requests were well before January 6 and had nothing to do with him,” Gohmert said. “I did not have or have anything to ask for a pardon and my petitions were for other people unrelated to the government of Washington, DC. Any claim to the contrary is unequivocally and maliciously false.”
When asked if Trump had considered a pardon for family members, McEntee said Trump “had hinted at a general pardon for anything on Jan. 6, but I think he did it for all staff and all involved. Not on January 6, but just before I left office, I know I had talked about it. “
John McEntee, former director of the White House Presidential Staff Office, is seen on video during the House select committee hearing. (Home TV)
“The only reason I know to ask for a pardon is because you think you committed a crime,” Kinzinger said after the witness video.
After losing a Senate primary in Alabama Tuesday night against a Trump-backed candidate, Brooks said he was open to testifying before the committee. Brooks had urged the crowd gathered at the Trump rally on Jan. 6 before attendees marched toward the Capitol and rallied.
“Today is the day American patriots start dismissing names and kicking ass,” Brooks said in his speech.
“Now, our ancestors sacrificed their blood, their sweat, their tears, their fortunes and sometimes their lives. … Are you willing to do the same? My answer is yes. Stronger! Are you willing to do whatever it takes to fight for America?