WASHINGTON (AP) — In the latest Jan. 6 hearing, already standing out for its notable moments, Rep. Liz Cheney saved the most startling for last.
In her closing remarks, the co-chair of the House investigating committee said the panel had learned that former President Donald Trump had recently tried to contact a witness whom “you have not yet seen in these hearings.”
The witness apparently recognized the caller ID, and did not answer the phone, instead contacting a lawyer, who then told the committee. The committee in turn referred the matter to the Justice Department.
Though much remains uncertain about the call, including its purpose and the intended recipient, the way it was described Tuesday raised the prospect that Trump or someone close to him was hoping to shape witness testimony in the ongoing congressional hearings into the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.
While the committee has focused largely on compiling a historical record of the attack and Trump’s role in it, Cheney’s assertions about the former president’s phone call added another layer to the inquiry.
Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., listens as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, on July 12, 2022. In a hearing already sprinkled with notable moments, Cheney saved perhaps the most startling one for last as she said that the panel had learned that former President Donald Trump had recently tried to contact a witness whom “you have not yet seen in these hearings.” (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
