The House January 6th Committee investigating the 2021 Capitol riot announced the witness list for Monday’s non-prime time hearing set for 10.m. EDT. Among those being called to testify on the all Republican/conservative witness panels for Monday’s hearing is former Fox News elections guru Chris Stirewalt who was let go by the network after controversy about his early call on election night for Joe Biden over President Trump in Arizona in the 2020 presidential election. Also on the witness list is Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien, who is reportedly appearing under subpoena as a ‘not friendly’ witness. By sheer coincidence, Stepien is currently leading the campaign of Harriet Hageman against committee co-chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in the Republican House primary election August 16.
Chris Stirewalt, file screen image.
Trump spokesman Taylor Budwich observed Sunday, “The day after a poll was released showing @Liz_Cheney getting destroyed by Trump-endorsed
@HagemanforWY, the committee just happened to subpoena Stepien, who is running Harriet’s campaign. This circus is beyond an embarrassment and will forever stain the integrity of congress.”
The day after a poll was released showing @Liz_Cheney getting destroyed by Trump-endorsed @HagemanforWY, the committee just happened to subpoena Stepien, who is running Harriet’s campaign. This circus is beyond an embarrassment and will forever stain the integrity of congress. https://t.co/w8NCe4Jvdp
— Taylor Budowich (@TayFromCA) June 12, 2022
Politico’s Alex Isenstadt reported on Stepien being subpoenaed, “I’m told the famously private former trump campaign manager/Christie adviser is appearing before the committee under subpoena…Given this, person familiar says Stepien may not be a “friendly witness” for the committee”
Given this, person familiar says Stepien may not be a “friendly witness” for the committee
— Alex Isenstadt (@politicoalex) June 12, 2022
Stirewalt is now with NewsNation, which is promoting his testimony.
Stirewalt appeared on MSNBC in January 2021 after being fired by Fox.
Also scheduled to appear before the committee Monday is anti-Trump Republican election lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg. Ginsburg attacked Trump before and after the 2020 election over Trump’s claims of election fraud and cheating.
Byung Jin “BJay” Pak former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia appointed by President Trump in 2017 and Republican Al Schmidt, former City Commissioner of Philadelphia are also on the witness list.
🚨🚨🚨 NEW: Former Trump campaign manager @BillStepien and ex-NDGA US Attorney BJay Pak are two of the witnesses testifying at tomorrow’s @January6thCmte hearing pic.twitter.com/uXkBAP6VqW
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) June 12, 2022
Media: @MarshallCohen to @Acosta on a surprise addition of former #Trump campaign manager @BillStepien to the @January6thCmte‘s Monday witness list: “We didn’t really know before today that he had contact with the committee. He’s under subpoena. We’ll se how cooperative he is.” pic.twitter.com/jhxwiBxJqJ
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) June 12, 2022
Schmidt, who opposed Trump’s claims of election fraud, spoke to the Senate about death threats he says he received after the 2020 election.
“This is domestic terrorism. The whole point is to terrorize, to intimidate, and to coerce, and to prevent our democracy from functioning as it should. In my case, this happened in the city where our democracy first began.” My testimony to the US Senate: pic.twitter.com/Sa1Nt40FOp
— Al Schmidt (@Commish_Schmidt) October 27, 2021
Pak abruptly resigned as U.S. Attorney on January 4, 2021 during the disputes about the 2020 election. CNN reported on Pak speaking to Senate investigators last August (CNN excerpt):
Byung “BJay” Pak, a former US attorney in Atlanta who abruptly quit during then-President Donald Trump’s mission to overturn the results of the election, stepped down earlier than planned because he caught wind Trump was considering firing him, according to a source familiar with Pak’s interview with congressional investigators Wednesday.
The circumstances surrounding Pak’s departure were among the lingering mysteries from a chaotic stretch in early January. At the time, Trump and his allies were focused squarely on Georgia as they sought to push unfounded claims of mass election fraud. Two days before Pak’s resignation on January 4, Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to validate bogus claims of election fraud in the state.
The Senate Judiciary Committee interviewed Pak on Wednesday as it investigates the pressure Trump put on the Justice Department to take a more active role in his efforts to overturn his electoral loss. The interview, which was not public, was conducted virtually and lasted between three and three and a half hours, according to the source familiar with the testimony.
Pak on Wednesday said it was not unreasonable for Trump to have concerns about election fraud in Georgia given the volume of allegations that the department received, the source said.
