The expected testimony of former President Donald Trump’s campaign director, Bill Stepien, before the House of Representatives committee on January 6 was unexpectedly overturned on Monday, when Stephen said he could not appear due to family urgency. The development is “subversive” for Monday’s hearing, said a source familiar with the commission’s plans, but the commission has prepared for such events and has video clips from Stepien’s previous testimony. Monday’s second congressional hearing on Jan. 6 this month will focus on Trump’s lies about the 2020 election. Electoral assistants to the House of Representatives said the hearing would look into how Trump cracked down on false allegations of fraud in the 2020 election and how he decided to declare victory in the hours after the election, although he was told the numbers did not confirm this. Aides said the hearing would show how Trump’s team pursued legal disputes in court and lost those cases, and that Trump then chose to ignore the will of the courts and continue to try to overturn the election. The hearing will also seek to link Trump’s lies about the January 6, 2021 US Capitol election, aides said, including the way rioters repeated the former president’s baseless allegations that the election was rigged. Among those expected to testify is former Fox digital policy writer Chris Stirwalt, whose decision to call Arizona for Joe Biden on election night angered Trump’s campaign – and Fox conservative hosts. A second group of witnesses testifying Monday includes former U.S. Attorney for North America B. Jay Pack, who was pressured to accept Trump’s allegations of fraud and resigned. former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt, who dismissed false allegations of electoral fraud in Philadelphia. and conservative election lawyer Ben Ginsberg, who is expected to speak out on the failed lawsuits being pursued by Trump’s team. Stepien was perhaps the most compelling witness as a key member of Trump’s team during the 2020 campaign. He was to appear by summons, he told CNN on Sunday. Here are the basic things to look for when selecting yours. Dismissing Trump’s allegations of fraud The hearing is the second of seven scheduled by the Jan. 6 commission for this month, as it sets out a case that puts Trump at the center of efforts to overthrow the 2020 election and the violence that unfolded in the Capitol on Jan. 6. Monday’s hearing focuses on electoral fraud, and the commission seeks to prove to the public that Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen – which has been adopted by a significant number of Republicans, including many Republican candidates – are false. . More videos from testimonials Stepien’s role in the hearing – and what he has to say about electoral fraud – was expected to be the highlight of Monday. But aides said they also planned to play more videos from behind-the-scenes interviews with many in Trump’s trajectory. These videos proved essentially at the commission’s inaugural hearing Thursday, which previewed the way in which the committee was told that many of those around Trump knew his allegations of electoral fraud were false. A more traditional listening The first hearing was attended by two witnesses – a Capitol police officer and a documentary with extremist groups on January 6 – but their testimony came after a lengthy presentation by committee chairman Benny Thompson and Cheney summarizing the committee’s findings. as well as a long video presentation showing new footage from the violent attack on the Capitol. Aides said Monday’s hearing would be a return to a more traditional congressional hearing, with the rest of the committee questioning two groups of witnesses. While Thompson is leading the hearing, Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California, will play a key role in Monday’s hearing that focuses on voter fraud, aides said. It is a pattern that is likely to continue with other committee members at future hearings, which will look at how Trump and his allies tried to put pressure on the Justice Department, state legislatures and former Vice President Mike Pence. , to help try to overthrow the election, and what the commission says is Trump’s role in inciting unrest in the Capitol and his failure to respond as the violence unfolded. CNN’s Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report. Read more here.
