Rep. Scott Perry was among “multiple” Republican lawmakers who sought presidential pardons in the weeks following the attack on the Capitol, the House Jan. 6 committee revealed Thursday.
“Representative Perry contacted the White House in the weeks after January 6th to seek a presidential pardon,” Committee Vice Chairwoman Rep. Liz Cheney, Wyoming Republican, said during the panel’s prime-time hearing.
“Multiple other Republican congressmen also sought presidential pardons for their roles in attempting to overturn the 2020 election,” she said.
Mr. Perry’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson for the Congressman told The Hill that Ms.Cheney’s claims were a “laughable, ludicrous, and a thoroughly soulless lie.”
The Pennsylvania lawmaker was among five Republican lawmakers subpoenaed by the committee, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, in an unprecedented bid last month to compel sitting members of Congress to testify.
President Trump did not issue any pardons for lawmakers or defendants charged in connection with Jan. 6.
After a nearly yearlong probe, Thursday’s hearing marked the first of a series of televised events in which the committee intends to unpack its findings.
The panel made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans, all hand-picked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has mostly met behind closed doors, hearing testimony and collecting information from dozens of witnesses.
The committee’s members aim to use the hearing to showcase what they call “the coordinated, multi-step effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and prevent the transfer of power.”
Republicans contend that the Democrat-led panel has weaponized the events of Jan. 6 and say that the committee serves as a political tool to target conservatives.
Democrats insist the sole aim of the probe is to uncover the truth about what led to the Capitol riot to ensure a similar event never takes place again.
Source:Washington Times
