On Monday, December 9, Liz Cheney, a former Congress member and ex-member of the January 6 Committee, asserted that she believes she should not face imprisonment despite allegations of destroying over 100 documents related to the committee’s investigations.
This controversy was ignited by a statement from President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday, December 8. He accused the committee members of destroying evidence that could have cleared him of any wrongdoing, referring to the missing or destroyed materials.
Representative Barry Loudermilk, who conducted an investigation into the committee and uncovered the missing files, stated to Fox News in January 2022, “It is clear that the January 6 committee took significant measures to prevent the American public from accessing certain documents generated during their investigation. It also seems that Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney aimed to obstruct our Subcommittee by neglecting to preserve essential information and videos as mandated by House regulations.”
In an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker, Trump criticized the January 6 Committee members, saying, “Cheney committed an inexcusable act, along with Thompson and the other members of this politically motivated committee. They deleted and destroyed all evidence.” He further remarked, “Biden could grant them a pardon if he chooses to, and perhaps he should.” He elaborated on the need for a pardon, stating, “Keep in mind, the unselect committee spent a year and a half gathering sworn testimony, and after obtaining all that information, they deleted and destroyed nearly everything. There’s nothing remaining. This is unprecedented, and they deny doing so. In a civil case, such actions would lead to jail time.”
Welker then inquired, “So you believe Liz Cheney should be imprisoned?” Trump responded, “Anyone who voted in favor—” but was interrupted by Welker, who asked, “Will you instruct your FBI director and attorney general to send the…”She also stated in reports from the New York Times that the notion of penalizing current and former members of Congress for the destruction of evidence constitutes an “assault on the rule of law.” She asserted, “Trump’s proposal that members of Congress who subsequently investigated his unlawful and unconstitutional actions should face imprisonment is a further attack on the rule of law and the very foundations of our republic.”
Additionally, she emphasized that there is no “factual or constitutional” justification for punishing individuals who have destroyed evidence, remarking, “There is no conceivable factual or constitutional basis for what Donald Trump is proposing — a Justice Department inquiry into the activities of a congressional committee — and any attorney who attempts to pursue such a path would soon find themselves engaging in conduct subject to sanctions.”
