The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has requested that Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary panel and a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, voluntarily provide information to and sit for an interview with the panel.
In a letter to Jordan, committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., wrote, "We understand that you had at least one and possibly multiple communications with President Trump on January 6th. We would like to discuss each such communication with you in detail."
The letter also requests that Jordan provide information about any discussions he had with the Trump legal team, White House personnel or outside activists involved with planning the rallies on Jan. 6 in Washington. Thompson also cites "public reporting" about Jordan attending White House meetings about overturning the results of the 2020 election.
Thompson also mentions other topics the committee would like to discuss with Jordan. "We would also like to ask you about any discussions involving the possibility of presidential pardons for individuals involved in any aspect of January 6th or the planning for January 6th. When you were asked during a Rules Committee hearing on October 20, 2021, whether you would be willing to share with the Select Committee the information you have regarding January 6th and the events leading up to that day, you responded, 'I've said all along, "I have nothing to hide." I've been straightforward all along.' " Thompson wrote.
Jordan and Trump's White House chief of staff Mark Meadows were close allies during Meadows' time in the House. They were part of group of conservative House lawmakers who established the Freedom Caucus in 2015 in an effort to move Republican leadership to the right.
Meadows initially cooperated with the panel and turned over thousands of pages of texts and emails, but then reversed course and refused to appear for his deposition. The House voted to hold Meadows in criminal contempt of Congress and referred the matter to the Justice Department for prosecution.
The request from Thompson on Wednesday marks the second time the panel has asked for cooperation from a sitting lawmaker. Earlier this week, Thompson sent a similar letter to GOP Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., to turn over information and meet with investigators about his role in trying to install Trump appointee Jeffrey Clark as the acting attorney general. Perry rejected the request on Tuesday, calling the committee "illegitimate."
While several people who have been subpoenaed have refused to appear and some have chosen to file lawsuits to try to block efforts to require them to appear, members of the panel say they have already received evidence from witnesses about the efforts leading up to the riot on Jan. 6. The committee has interviewed more than 300 individuals.
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