The House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol voted Wednesday night to refer Trump Justice Department lawyer Jeffrey Clark for criminal prosecution for refusing to answer questions during a recent deposition and failing to hand over documents to the Committee, CNN reports.
Clark, a midlevel attorney at the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the Trump administration, is the second Trump ally censured by the panel.
The unanimous vote comes as the committee is now set to convene a second hearing for Clark on Saturday following a note at 8 p.m. Tuesday from his lawyer asking for a chance to plead his Fifth Amendment right to protection against self-incrimination before the committee, CNN reports.
As noted by CNN, “Clark became a central figure in former President Trump’s quest to have the Justice Department investigate his baseless claims of voter fraud, with Clark pushing superiors to send a letter encouraging states to delay certification of their election results. Trump weighed installing him as acting attorney general as other DOJ officials resisted his efforts.”
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The documents Clark was asked to hand over included communications with Trump, senior members of the White House, Trump’s reelection campaign, John Eastman —a conservative lawyer working with the then-president’s legal team— and state officials.
Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) called Clark’s offer to return a “last-ditch attempt to delay the Select Committee’s proceedings,” noting that the committee would still forward the matter for consideration by the full House, according to the news network.
