“To be honest with you, we’ve had conversations with the former attorney general already,” Rep. Bennie Thompson told CBS’ Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation” when asked if the committee would go to Barr. “We’ve talked to Department of Defense individuals. We are concerned that our military was part of this big lie on promoting that the election was false.”
The Mississippi Democrat continued, “So, if you are using the military, to potentially seize these voting machines, even though it’s a discussion, the public needs to know, we’ve never had that before.”
Thompson’s remarks came in response to a question regarding text of a draft executive order that had been presented to then-President Donald Trump in December of 2020 to have the secretary of defense seize voting machines in battleground states.
Barr, who was a staunch defender of Trump during his tenure at the Department of Justice and pushed the administration’s “law and order” message, resigned in December 2020 after rebuking the then-President’s false claims about widespread election fraud.
It is unclear who wrote the draft order, which is full of legal language asserting presidential powers to seize the election equipment and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
The draft, which was published by Politico last week, also said the defense secretary could identify National Guard units to be federalized to help the effort. The document also appears to be one that Trump fought to block from the January 6 select committee, which is investigating his attempts to subvert the 2020 election.
It was dated December 16, 2020, according to the document published by Politico, which is two days after the Electoral College met in state capitals to formalize President Joe Biden’s victory, dealing a huge blow to Trump’s attempts to overturn the election.
Thompson also said he wasn’t aware of an operational plan but just the draft itself.
“We do know that a potential person was identified to become the attorney general of the United States, who would communicate with certain states that the election on their situation had been fraudulent and not to produce certified documents,” he said.
CNN’s Marshall Cohen and Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.
Rep. Bennie ThompsonBennie Gordon ThompsonJan. 6 panel subpoenas Jeffrey Clark, backer of Trump efforts at DOJ Ex-Trump aide Dan Scavino finally served Jan. 6 subpoena: report Trump advising 4 former aides to ignore subpoenas from Jan. 6 panel: report MORE (D-Miss.), the chairman of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, did not rule out subpoenaing former President TrumpDonald TrumpTim Scott takes in .3 million in third quarter Trump calls into Take Back Virginia Rally to hype Youngkin Overnight Defense & National Security — Partisan extremism poses ‘growing problem’ among veterans MORE when asked about the possibility during an interview on Thursday.
“Are you ruling out or ruling in the possibility of eventually subpoenaing Trump?” CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked Thompson.
“Well, I would say this at this point, Wolf, nobody is off limits to a subpoena from this committee,” Thompson responded.
He added that “a lot of what we decide” on Trump will depend on how much information the Biden White House provides to the committee, despite Trump’s claims of executive privilege.
The White House on Wednesday formally rejected an attempt by Trump to exert executive privilege over a set of documents the panel had requested.
“I appreciate the White House agreement to look at executive privilege and give us consideration on a lot of the information we want. A lot of what we decide on former President Trump is dependent on what we find in this information,” Thompson told Blitzer.
“I believe the Biden information and deliberate efforts to make sure that we have access to certain information is crucial to what we do,” he added.
.@WolfBlitzer: “Are you ruling out or ruling in the possibility of eventually subpoenaing trump? @BennieGThompson: “I would say this at this point wolf, nobody is off limits to a subpoena from this committee.” Wolf: “I assume that means the former president as well.” pic.twitter.com/KVXEZHjDIh
— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) October 14, 2021
The chairman sounded a similar note in July when asked about potential subpoenas for Trump, former Vice President Mike PenceMichael (Mike) Richard PenceFewer than 4 in 10 say US is on right track: poll Trump holds 35-point leads over DeSantis, Pence in new poll What’s at stake if Trump wins in 2024? Single-party authoritarian rule MORE and other White House officials, telling PBS NewsHour, “If the facts themselves lead us to any individual, we will not hesitate to bring them before the committee.”
While there is no guarantee that the committee will ultimately subpoena Trump, the former president is already gearing up for a legal fight if the panel requests documents and his testimony.
Trump in a statement last month vowed to “fight the Subpoenas on Executive Privilege and other grounds,” contending that such a move would be “for the good of the country.”
Legal experts, however, are at odds over whether the former president’s claim of executive privilege would hold up in court.
Thompson’s comment came hours after the committee announced that it plans to refer ex-Trump White House strategist Stephen Bannon for criminal prosecution after he failed to comply with a subpoena by the deadline.
Bannon is refusing to provide requested documents and testimony, citing a yet-to-be filed lawsuit from Trump, who claims the materials in the subpoena are protected by executive privilege.
Reports surfaced last week that Trump was advising four of his former aides, including Bannon, to defy the subpoenas they received from the panel.
The select committee will write up a report detailing the efforts the panel took to get Bannon to comply with the subpoena, and his failure to do so. It will then go before the House for a vote.
If approved, the Justice Department will then be tasked with stepping in and deciding how aggressively it wants to pursue Bannon. That decision will likely be determined by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., and top lawyers at the main Justice Department.
Thompson on Thursday rejected Bannon’s claim that his testimony is protected by executive privilege.
“You can’t say that Steve BannonStephen (Steve) Kevin BannonJudge says Baltimore can’t block Catholic media group’s rally Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Jeffrey Clark, backer of Trump efforts at DOJ Bannon’s subpoena snub sets up big decision for Biden DOJ MORE should hide behind executive privilege when he wasn’t even the government. Just because former President Trump says it, it’s not the law,” he told Blitzer.
Bannon was not serving in the administration on Jan. 6.
In addition to Bannon, the select committee has also sent subpoenas to Trump’s former chief of staff Mark MeadowsMark MeadowsWhat’s at stake if Trump wins in 2024? Single-party authoritarian rule The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Altria – Political crosscurrents persist for Biden, Dems Trump, the elections and Jan. 6: What you might have missed this week MORE, former deputy chief of staff for communications Dan Scavino and Kashyap Patel, the former chief of staff to then-acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.
Meadows and Patel have so far been “engaging” with the committee, Thompson and Rep. Liz CheneyElizabeth (Liz) Lynn CheneyThiel backing Trump-supported challenger to Cheney: report GOP leader’s remarks on Fox underscore Trump’s power Cheney raises .7 million in third quarter MORE (R-Wyo.) revealed in a statement last week.
Meadows, Patel and Scavino have all been granted short postponements by the committee for their depositions, which were scheduled for this week, according to CNN.
Most recently, the committee requested records and testimony from Jeffrey Clark, a Trump ally and former employee at the Department of Justice who encouraged its leaders to investigate Trump’s claims of election fraud.
In a letter to Clark, Thompson wrote that the panel’s investigation “has revealed credible evidence that you attempted to involve the Department of Justice in efforts to interrupt the peaceful transfer of power.”
“You proposed that the department send a letter to state legislators in Georgia and other states suggesting that they delay certification of their election results and hold a press conference announcing that the Department was investigating allegations of voter fraud,” the letter added.
Police revealed that Hargrove tried to de-escalate a violent situation between classmates during lunch and was shot six times by 13-year-old Juan Saucedo.
According to a police report, students said Saucedo showed them the gun earlier in the day, which he had brought from home.
At lunchtime, Hargrove asked Saucedo to stop bullying a friend of his, and that’s when Saucedo pulled out the gun and shot him at the grassy area of the school, near the running track.
Saucedo’s father told officers that he noticed his gun was missing around noon, but by the time he drove to Washington Middle School, police were placing Juan in handcuffs.
Students were dismissed early that day and will be expected to return Tuesday, Aug. 17.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by family and friends.
Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompsom’s lone “no” vote against H.R. 1, the massive voting rights and election reform legislation, was no accident.
Thompson, of Mississippi, joined with all Republicans late Wednesday to vote against the House Democrats’ top legislative priority, known as the For the People Act of 2021.
Thompson’s vote was surprising since he was a co-sponsor of the legislation along with the rest of the Democratic caucus. But Thompson said Thursday his constituents weren’t supportive of the election overhaul, so he stood with them rather than his colleagues.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS PASS EXTENSIVE VOTING AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM BILL, H.R. 1
“My constituents opposed the redistricting portion of the bill as well as the section on public finances,” Thompson said in a statement to Fox News. “I always listen and vote in the interest of my constituents.”
The legislation requires states to establish independent redistricting commissions to carry out the once-a-decade redrawing of congressional districts in an effort to avoid partisan gerrymandering. The bill also establishes a new public financing system for congressional and presidential elections to incentivize small-dollar donations.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS’ H.R. 1 WOULD CREATE NEW PUBLIC FINANCING OF CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS
The legislation would create a 6:1 match for each grassroots contribution to a candidate up to $200. For example, a $200 donation to a House candidate would garner a $1,200 match in public funds for a total contribution of $1,400.
The public match program would be funded by a new 4.75% surcharge on criminal and civil penalties and settlements that corporations pay to the U.S. government. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated this week the new revenue stream would generate about $3.2 billion over 10 years.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.
The election legislation passed by a vote of 220 to 210. No Republicans joined with Democrats in approving the sweeping voter rights reform that now heads to the Senate.
Numbered H.R. 1 to signify it is the top priority of House Democrats, the legislation would also enact automatic voter registration, restore voting rights to felons after they have completed their sentences and expand early voting access and absentee voting.
REP. BENNIE THOMPSON FILES CIVIL LAWSUIT AGAINST TRUMP FOR JAN. 6 RIOT: ‘WE MUST HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE’
It also prohibits voter roll purges and partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, imposes new campaign finance rules, and requires presidential nominees to release 10 years of tax returns.
H.R. 1 would also take aim at big-dollar donors and dark money in politics by requiring additional disclosure of campaign donors and disclaimers on political advertising.
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The legislation now heads to the Senate where it has a tough road for passage as the chamber is split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans. The legislation would require 60 votes to advance and needs GOP support.
