U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida on Wednesday introduced a resolution to censure Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS-2), former Chairman of the January 6th Select Committee, for violating longstanding rules of the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to Gaetz, investigations by the House Judiciary Committee have confirmed Rep. Thompson knowingly violated longstanding House rules by not turning over all the January 6th Select Committee’s records to the Clerk of the House at the end of the 117th Congress in December 2022.
Rep. Thompson sent a letter to the Biden White House and the Department of Homeland Security in which he implied critical congressional records related to the work of the January 6th Committee would be improperly stored at the White House.
In the news: Rep. Matt Gaetz Seeks To Hold Trump-Hating Former DA In Contempt Of Congress
It remains unclear which records were kept or destroyed by the committee.
“Lawmakers investigating the weaponization of the federal government are unable to determine which records of the January 6th Select Committee were kept or destroyed before Republicans took control of the House,” Gaetz said. “Former Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, in a flagrant violation of House rules, improperly sent the records to the Biden White House and outside the rightful possession of Congress.
“At a minimum, Rep. Thompson should be censured by the House for this violation and removed from his position on the Committee of Homeland Security,” said Gaetz.
On Tuesday, The Free Press reported that Gaetz Rep. is also going after the Trump-hating prosecutor whose whining led to the indictment of the 45th president for an alleged hush-money payment to stripper Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election.
The Florida Republican told Fox News on Tuesday that he would file a resolution calling for a contempt of Congress charge against former New York assistant district attorney Mark Pomerantz for his “frivolous” testimony last month.
In the news: Rep. Matt Gaetz: Only Democrats And “Establishment” GOP Love McCarthy-Biden Deal
On Twitter, Gaetz said, “I believe Mr. Pomerantz engaged in misconduct in his targeting of President Trump, and his refusal to answer simple questions should not go unpunished. If he fails to comply with the congressional subpoena, then the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives must summon him by force.”
As The Free Press reported last month, Pomerantz argued for charging former President Donald Trump over the supposed payment to Daniels after the Justice Department and the Manhattan DA’s office both passed on filing charges.
Pomerantz reportedly quit over his former agency’s refusal to pursue Trump and later wrote a book about the case, “People vs. Donald Trump: An Inside Account.” In his book, Pomerantz rips Trump as a “malignant narcissist” and maybe a “megalomaniac,” who “posed a real danger to the country and to the ideas that mattered to me.” “His behavior made me angry, sad, and even disgusted,” he added.
Last month, House Republicans brought Pomerantz in to testify about Trump’s case. On almost every question, he pleaded the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions.
In the news: Rep. Gaetz Proclaims Victory In Skirmish With Pentagon On Military Base Drag Shows
“He lobbied his way onto a prosecutorial team as a private lawyer. He did all he could to gaslight charges against Donald Trump. When the evidence didn’t support those charges, he initially got miffed and quit the team and wrote a book about it,” Gaetz told Fox News on Tuesday.
“Now, he has the nerve to assert his Fifth Amendment privilege over these matters when he has clearly explicitly and repeatedly waived that privilege. Contempt is proper where someone refuses to answer Congress’s questions under a frivolous assertion.”
Continuing, Gaetz noted, “I’ve talked to a lot of my colleagues on the weaponization subcommittee, and I’ll allow them to speak for themselves, but many agree that the Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination were waived once Pomerantz defended the veracity of his book in response to questions from Congresswoman [Elise] Stefanik.”
“I mean, Pomerantz pled the fifth when we asked him if he broke any laws while participating in the Trump investigation. We deserve an answer to that question.”
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Signup for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help; visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps.