Jan. 6 committee notifies DOJ that Trump tried tampering with one of its witnesses, Cheney says

KEY POINTS

• The vice chair of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack revealed that it had made the Department of Justice aware of a phone call it says was made by former President Donald Trump to one of its witnesses.
• Republican Liz Cheney said at the Tuesday hearing the witness alerted their lawyer of the call who then told the committee it took place.
• The committee showcased fresh testimony from several key witnesses, including former White House counsel Pat Cipollone.

The House select committee investigating the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 revealed that it told the Department of Justice that former President Donald Trump contacted one of its witnesses who hasn't publicly testified yet.

"After our last hearing. President Trump tried to call a witness in our investigation. A witness you have not yet seen in these hearings," Rep. Liz Cheney, the vice chair of the committee, said on Tuesday.

"That person declined to answer or respond to President Trump's call and instead alerted their lawyer to the call. Their lawyer alerted us. And this committee has supplied that information to the Department of Justice," she added.

Vice Chair U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) speaks during a public hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol, on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 12, 2022.

Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters

A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to requests for comment.

The Tuesday hearing marked the latest round of testimony that depicts Trump as a president determined to hang onto power after the conclusion of the 2020 presidential election — no matter the cost to American democracy.

The committee showcased fresh testimony from several key witnesses, including former White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who told the panel's investigators that they believed the election wasn't stolen and it was time for the president to concede.

Trump has continued to make false claims about the 2020 election two years after he lost to President Joe Biden. Trump has yet to rule out another run for president in 2024.

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