CNN reported Thursday that the DOJ is planning to push more Trump Administration staffers to testify in its investigation of the January 6 attack on the Capitol, as well as wage court battles to overcome any executive privilege claims.
The Paycheck Protection Program was signed by President Donald Trump. The photo was taken by Chip Somodevilla.
According to unnamed sources, prosecutors are seeking information on former President Donald Trump's actions and conversations leading up to and during the Capitol riot, but the former president may claim that information is protected by executive privilege, which allows presidents to keep some communications secret.
Greg Jacob, the top legal counsel for Vice President Mike Pence, and his chief of staff,Marc Short, testified before a federal grand jury in the DOJ's January 6 investigation, but didn't mention anything about Trump.
According to CNN, Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide, is cooperating with prosecutors.
The Justice Department usually does not comment on ongoing investigations.
A spokeswoman for Trump didn't reply to a request from Forbes.
Legal experts say the executive privilege claims made by Trump to shield some January 6 related records from public view are flimsy, especially since Trump is no longer in office.
The DOJ has the power to bring criminal indictments in the January 6 probe, which is similar to the one being overseen by the House January 6 committee. The DOJ has charged hundreds of people with participating in the January 6 riot, but in recent weeks it has also appeared to show more interest in Trump and his allies. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the DOJ has asked witnesses about conversations with Trump, and last month, federal officials searched the home of a Trump-era DOJ lawyer. Both camps are frustrated by the amount of overlap between the investigations. Jamie Raskin, a member of the committee, said last week that he has become impatient with the DOJ investigation and that the committee has so far been unwilling to turn over transcripts. In an interview with NBC's Lester Holt that aired Tuesday, Attorney General Garland said the DOJ is moving forward with its own investigation "through the principles of prosecution" while it waits for the January 6 committee to finish its probe.
At his recent contempt trial, a federal judge said there was no legal basis for the argument that executive privilege prevented him from complying with the committee subpoena. The maximum sentence for contempt of Congress is two years in prison.
The prosecutors are preparing for a court battle to get the former White House officials to testify.
It was reported that the man could face two years in prison after being found guilty of contempt of Congress.
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