Oh what a tangled web…
The House Select Committee got our attention with a late afternoon announcement of a previously unscheduled hearing for today. According to the New York Times, the hearing was called to hear “recently obtained evidence.” No one really knows what this “emergency” hearing is about, but people are already speculating and talking. Former White House counsel John W. Dean was quoted as saying: “It better be a big deal.”
Dean testified against Nixon in 1973, and according to NYT, Dean claims the existence of “a very high historical standard” for unannounced witnesses. He likened it to the Watergate witness who revealed the Nixon White House tapes. That certainly was a defining moment in that investigation, as there would not have been much of a case without the tapes. That man was Alex Butterfield, and he blew the Watergate story out of the proverbial water. Since the House Select Committee is being so secretive about their evidence and witness(es), we can hope it will bring additional light to all the scheming and subterfuge among Trump and his inner circle.
The committee is set to hear testimony about this newly obtained evidence, which some believe involves documentarian Alex Holder, but it appears that he has already spoken to the committee. According to The Independent, Holder told the committee that Eric Trump said that “violence [on January 6] was fair game.” The impromptu hearing could well have something to do with Holder’s evidence, but the committee has not revealed who is testifying nor what that testimony will entail.
Dean is, of course, heavily weighing in on this proposed testimony. Butterfield was a true insider during the Watergate hearings, as it was revealed that he is the person who oversaw the installation of the secret taping system. Perhaps we will be surprised by a Trump insider who’s finally ready to come clean. That is highly doubtful, but let’s hope there are some type of fireworks to come from this quickly called hearing. Either way, things seem to be heating up in the investigation, as NYT also announced that federal agents have seized John Eastman’s phone.
NYT believes this is an indication that the Justice Department is finally conducting a criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In addition to seizing Eastman’s phone, NYT reported that the DOJ has delivered grand jury subpoenas to a variety of people involved in the attempts to overturn the election, and they have raided the home of Jeffrey Clark, the former DOJ official who assisted Trump in his attempts to coerce the department to get involved in his machinations. The DOJ is, of course, not commenting on any of the moves it has made, but it certainly appears that they are on the track of something or someone.
The committee is set to convene at 1:00 pm. This may be the one hearing that people need to tune into, as it may be leading up to some revealing evidence. Is it time to get the popcorn yet? Only time will tell.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years