US Capitol riot probe to examine Trump circle's ties to extremists

12 July 2022 - 18:56 By Patricia Zengerle
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The Oath Keepers provided security to Roger Stone, a self-described “dirty trickster” who has advised Trump off and on for decades, in Washington on January 5 and 6.
The Oath Keepers provided security to Roger Stone, a self-described “dirty trickster” who has advised Trump off and on for decades, in Washington on January 5 and 6.
Image: REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo

The congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol on Tuesday will seek to draw connections between then-President Donald Trump's closest allies and right-wing militants who stormed the seat of government in a bid to keep him in power.

The House of Representatives committee's seventh hearing in five weeks will focus on the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, two pro-Trump groups that investigators say helped plan the attack, as well as QAnon, a right-wing conspiracy theory movement.

The hearing, starting at 1pm. ET (1700 GMT), will explore ties between the two groups and Trump associates including Roger Stone and Mike Flynn, according to a committee aide who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.

The Oath Keepers provided security to Stone, a self-described “dirty trickster” who has advised Trump off and on for decades, in Washington on January 5 and 6. Flynn, a retired Army general, served as Trump's first national security adviser.

The committee's seven Democrats and two Republicans have used the hearings to build a case that Trump's efforts to overturn his defeat in the November 2020 election constitute illegal conduct, far beyond normal politics.

Committee members say Trump incited the riot, through his refusal to admit he lost the 2020 presidential election, and comments like his Dec. 19, 2020, call on Twitter for supporters to flock to Washington for a “big protest,” saying, “Be there, will be wild.”

They also have questioned the role of some members of Congress in Trump's Republican Party. In a call with reporters on Monday, committee aides said Tuesday's hearing would explore the involvement of some lawmakers.

The hearing is expected to feature video testimony from Pat Cipollone, Trump's former White House counsel, who spoke to committee investigators behind closed doors on Friday.

FORMER OATH KEEPER TO TESTIFY

The committee would not release the names of witnesses, citing security concerns, but Jason Van Tatenhove, a former spokesperson for the Oath Keepers, was expected to testify.

James Lee Bright, an attorney for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, told Reuters that Van Tatenhove had not had contact with the group in about five years.

Rhodes, who is in jail awaiting trial on charges related to the Jan. 6 attack, has offered to testify before the committee but only subject to certain conditions. He already sat for a deposition.

The attack on the Capitol, following a speech Trump gave at a rally outside the White House that day, delayed certification of Joe Biden's election for hours, injured more than 140 police officers and led to several deaths.

In response to a request for comment, Stone said he was facing the “tactic of guilt by association.”

In an email, he said, “Any assertion that I knew in advance about, was involved in or condoned any of the illegal actions at the Capitol is false. Any claim that I knew from any member of the Proud Boys or Oath Keepers about any plan for illegal activities on January 6th is also false.”

An attorney for Flynn did not respond to a request for comment.

Neither Flynn nor Stone has been charged in connection with the attack on the Capitol and both have invoked their Fifth Amendment constitutional right against self-incrimination before the Jan. 6 committee.

Trump pardoned both after they were convicted or pleaded guilty in cases unrelated to the Capitol attack.

'STAND BACK AND STAND BY'

The Oath Keepers and Proud Boys gained national attention during the Trump administration for their support of the Republican president. Trump urged the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” during a September 2020 debate as he campaigned against Biden.

About 800 people, including members of both groups, have been charged with taking part in the Capitol riot, with about 250 guilty pleas so far.

Questioning of witnesses during the hearing will be led by Democratic Representatives Stephanie Murphy and Jamie Raskin. Committee aides declined to name any of Tuesday's witnesses, citing security concerns.

Trump, who has hinted he may seek the White House again in 2024, denies wrongdoing and has falsely asserted that he lost only because of widespread fraud that benefited Biden.

Trump and his supporters — including many Republicans in Congress — dismiss the Jan. 6 panel as a political witch hunt, but the panel's backers say it is a necessary probe into a violent threat against democracy.

Reuters

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