First on CNN: Elaine Chao, Trump's former Transportation Secretary, met with Jan. 6 committee

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN)The House select committee investigating January 6, 2021, has recently interviewed former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and is in talks with former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as well as former National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, multiple sources tell CNN. Chao and DeVos, both members of former President Donald Trump's Cabinet, resigned a day after the attack on the US Capitol and discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from power.

News of Chao's cooperation, and the committee's discussions with DeVos and O'Brien have not been previously reported. It comes after former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with the panel on Tuesday. The 25th Amendment was a topic of focus during Pompeo's meeting, CNN previously reported. Additionally, sources tell CNN the committee is still negotiating terms for a potential interview with former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe. Given the classified nature of Ratcliffe's former role, there are unique issues the two sides have to work out, the sources said.

At least nine Cabinet-level officials who were still in their roles on January 6 are known to have cooperated with or are engaging with the committee. Like Pompeo, DeVos and Chao are known to have explored the idea of possibly removing Trump from power via the 25th Amendment in the immediate aftermath of the January 6 attack. While Pompeo served out his tenure as Secretary of State, DeVos and Chao both sent letters of resignation to Trump on January 7.

As national security adviser, O'Brien was not a member of Trump's Cabinet but sources say he was involved in high-level discussions about the 25th Amendment immediately following January 6. In a statement to CNN, O'Brien denied that, saying, "I was at no time involved in discussions about invoking the 25th Amendment." CNN previously reported that O'Brien also considered resigning from his post over Trump's response to the violence that day but ultimately decided to remain in the job.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/11/politics/elaine-chao-trump-cabinet-january-6-25th-amendment/index.html

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Full headline: First on CNN: Elaine Chao, Trump's former Transportation Secretary, met with Jan. 6 committee as other Cabinet members engage with panel

[Deep State Witch]

1. Mrs. Mitch

I wonder what interesting things Mrs. McConnell had to say?

[empedocles]

3. Wonder what Mr. Mitch has to say to Mrs. Mitch?

[Irish_Dem]

9. Thank you honey for helping me get rid of the orange F-Wad.

McConnell hates Trump.

[DENVERPOPS]

13. Amazing..........

Mr. and Mrs. Mitch McConnell enabled Trump each and every day for four years plus to nearly complete the destruction of the U.S economy and our Democracy. Now All of them want a get out of jail free card for their complicity in demolishing our nation.
And, don't you wonder how much Mrs. McConnell passed along to her Chinese Oligarch parents as a Cabinet Member. At worst, I'm sure mommie and daddie contributed handsomely to Mitch's Campaign and many other top ranking U.S. Republican Senators.

Play them. Let them think you are glad they are helping out with Trump, get their testimony under oath, and then charge them and hundreds of other Republicans in the Trump Administration, Republicans in the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House with sedition.......

Mitch sure didn't hate Trump that much when he had not one, but two impeachments handed to him on a golden platter by the Dems in the U.S. House.............

All of them are now trying to cover their asses royal........period...

And as we speak, they ALL are still hiding and working hard in the background shadows STILL trying to overthrow our government, and establish a Tyranny instead of our Democracy........

Fuck every last Republican Politician........Every voter must realize the Dems are in a war for the future for all of our kids and grandkids.

[Irish_Dem]

17. You nailed it. Yes it certainly boggles the mind.

Yes the GOP loved Trump, he aided them in their quest for total permanent power and white male christian minority rule.

But alas Trump proved to be a huge liability. He is not a team player, cannot keep his eye on the ball.
And beginning to damage the party. He had to go.

But yes, the GOP certainly expects to have no consequences. They are ruthless sociopaths and will do anything for power and money. The laws, rules, customs are for everyone else. And we are suckers and losers for following the rules.

Of course there is a very transactional and fluid relationship between the GOP elite and China, Russian, Iran, and other world dictators. They all want the same thing, power and wealth by any means possible.

My theory is that McConnell signed off on the whole J6 committee to bring Trump down.
Everything was GOP. Liz Cheney in charge, all witnesses are GOP. FBI director is GOP.
And he would blame the Dems for all of it. Win win for McConnell.

In return McConnell gets an agreement that treasonous GOP members of congress are not touched, especially his senators.

Oh yes make no mistake, the GOP goals have not changed. They want total permanent power and access to all national assets. And white male christian minority rule with an autocratic from of government. The model DeSantis in Florida is showing us.

[DENVERPOPS]

18. Good points ID......

WASF

[Irish_Dem]

19. Thanks. Yes it is quite dicey right now.

Especially since we can no longer deny the fact that a large group of Americans want to violently overthrow the US government and end democracy.

They not only advocate violence but are eager to start killing people.

[2naSalit]

22. +1

[BumRushDaShow]

6. They are doing the "25th Amendment" investigation

I remember the week or so after J6 when the pundits were exchanging notes and discussing all the "behind the scenes" stuff that was apparently going on, an there was mention about various Cabinet members coming and going and gathering with Pence and it may have been Pence who ditched the idea.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives had passed a Resolution requesting the status from the VP, since they are "part of the process" of notification per the amendment itself -

Amendment XXV

(snip)

Section 3.

Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Section 4.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxxv

H.Res.21 - Calling on Vice President Michael R. Pence to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments of the Cabinet to activate section 4 of the 25th Amendment to declare President Donald J. Trump incapable of executing the duties of his office and to immediately exercise powers as acting President

[Grins]

20. Hannity called Meadows as the Coup subsided to warn about 25th.

If Hannity knew that at 7:37 that night, then Cabinet members were discussing invoking it around 5 or 6PM.

[BumRushDaShow]

21. I recall they reconvened in Congress January 6, around 8 pm ET once they cleared the building

and cleaned up the chambers - https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/06/electoral-vote-update-congress-resumes-counting-after-pro-trump-rioters-invade-capitol.html

The National Guard finally started showing up around 4 pm ET I think and a curfew went into effect in the city at 6 pm ET - https://www.npr.org/sections/congress-electoral-college-tally-live-updates/2021/01/06/954052803/d-c-mayor-issues-6-pm-curfew-as-trump-supporters-breach-capitol

So I think in those couple hours, all kinds of things were going on with the leadership before they gavelled back into session.

[ancianita]

2. More ass covering through "cooperation" to defend against any future "accessories after the fact"

filings.

These latecomers probably also go back to other trumpcult sycophants and tell them what questions to expect from the Jan 6 Committee, and whether the investigations indicate parallel looks by the DOJ.

There could also be a whole narrative being written for campaigns from what gets learned by the latecomers to the Jan 6 Committee.

Mulvaney, since his appearance before the Jan 6 Comte, has been on FOX detracting from the whole "investigation process" as he politically spins it.

[wnylib]

14. +1000

[calimary]

4. Love the dam-breaking image! Seems fitting.

[awesomerwb1]

5. Hope she sMitched on Mitch

[wnylib]

15. Very unlikely, but I share your wish that

somebody would snitch on Mitch.

[catbyte]

7. I imagine Mango Mussolini is doing this right about now.

Or maybe this:



And this is how I'm feeling:

[BumRushDaShow]

10. ...

[turbinetree]

8. So a kleptocrat spoke to the J6 committee.....

maybe #Moscow Mitch should be brought in ........

[Javaman]

11. "high-level discussions about the 25th Amendment immediately following January 6"

Ah but alas like typical repukes they cared less about a madman running the government than they did about their own skins.

This woulda, coulda, shoulda shit is just that; shit

They cared more about the self imposed targets they would have put on their backs had they actually done something than they did the welfare of the nation

Fuck these fascists.

[wnylib]

16. Agree.

[bringthePaine]

12. fuck 'em all - if not absolutely necessary, no damn immunity

[JohnSJ]

24. She won't need immunity.

[JohnSJ]

23. McConnell and trump are not friends, and she will not be helping trump

[malthaussen]

25. The Turtle's Wife!

Lemme see, isn't there some sort of prohibition about a wife testifying against her husband?

I just know Moscow Mitch was up to his eyebrows in this, but he was probably competent at covering his tracks.

-- Mal