Trump never read constitution5/7/2023 ![]() That's the kind of contempt where the courts have said you hold the keys to your own freedom. We can go to court to ask for a civil order enforcing the subpoena, and that leads to civil contempt, people being held behind bars until they decide to comply. RASKIN: That's right because he complied substantially before Trump pressured him to disengage from the process. We can seek civil.įADEL: But not Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff. You know, what can Congress do? We can seek criminal sanctions, as we successfully did against Steve Bannon. So essentially, he's assenting to our establishment of his central culpability in staging the coup against America and the violent insurrection if he doesn't show up. And in fact, Justice Scalia, for a unanimous Supreme Court, repeatedly found we can derive adverse inferences towards the information he has if he refuses to come forward. ![]() But in the civil context, which is what we're in now, we can comment all we want. Now, in the criminal context, we couldn't even comment on his refusal to testify because of the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. RASKIN: Well, I mean, that's the hypothetical I don't really want to entertain at this point just because I want people to focus on what it means for a former president of the United States to say, well, obviously, I was at the center of these events - according to everything we found, he was the driving factor behind every element of the assault on democracy - but I'm not going to participate. ![]() Would you come forward and talk to the representatives of the American people, or would you blow it off like Steve Bannon did, who now has been convicted of contempt of Congress for simply thinking that he's somehow above and beyond the law?įADEL: Well, on that note, what would you do if former President Trump rebuffs your subpoena? Would it be a similar situation? RASKIN: And I just want everybody to focus for a moment, at least, on what you would do, wherever you are, if you had information about this attack. But again, you know, before we - everybody wants to talk about, well, will he do it, or what if he won't do it, and what would we do in that case and so on. So we've not been in touch with them, at least as far as I know. RASKIN: Well, remember, yesterday we just voted to direct the chairman to render a subpoena to Donald Trump. So.įADEL: But have his lawyers indicated that he will, or has there been any indication that he'll comply? And many people have told us that they felt it's their patriotic obligation to come forward, to share whatever knowledge they have with the committee as we investigate this worst mass violent domestic assault on Congress in our history. RASKIN: Well, of course, that's going to be up to him, although we've talked to more than a thousand people now, and the vast majority of people that we've contacted or subpoenaed have recognized that this is both a legal duty and also a civic opportunity. So, Congressman, let's start with that big question. Thanks so much for having me.įADEL: Thank you for being here. ![]() We're joined now by one of the nine January 6 committee members, Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland. Yesterday's hearing summed up a year-and-a-half-long investigation that found former President Trump pushed the big lie that the election was stolen, even though he knew he lost, that he pressured state officials and his own vice president to overturn the results and that he summoned a violent mob to the Capitol to stop the peaceful transfer of power. He is required to answer to those police officers who put their lives and bodies on the line to defend our democracy.įADEL: That's committee chair Bennie Thompson of Mississippi during a hearing that closed with the panel unanimously voting to subpoena the former president's testimony and documents. He is required to answer for his actions. Capitol wants answers from Donald Trump.īENNIE THOMPSON: This is a question about accountability to the American people. The House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |