Jan. 6 panel has evidence Trump planned for military to seize voting machines, chair says
WASHINGTON (CBS/CBS Newspath/WKRC) - The head of the House committee investigating the assault on the capitol confirmed to CBS News that the Trump Administration discussed an idea to have the military seize voting machines from the 2020 election. He also told "Face the Nation" that the committee has questioned former Attorney General William Barr, who resigned after the election under cloudy circumstances.
On "Face the Nation" House Select Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson revealed Barr, who left the Trump Administration weeks before January 6, talked to the panel.
"We are concerned that our military was part of this big lie on promoting that the election was false," said Rep. Thompson (D).
The chairman referenced a draft executive order from December 2020 first reported by Politico that would have authorized the defense secretary to "...seize, collect, retain and analyze all (voting) machines" and allowed "the appointment of a special counsel"
The order was never enacted -- and it was one of the documents former President Trump's lawyers allegedly tried to shield from Congressional investigators.
"So, if you are using the military to potentially seize voting machines, even though it's a discussion, the public needs to know," said Thompson.
Thompson was asked on "Face the Nation" whether he had proof that there was someone inside the United States military working on this premise of actually seizing voting machines.
"Between the Department of Justice, a plan was put forward to potentially seize voting machines in the country and utilize Department of Defense assets to make that happen," he answered.
In December of 2020 Barr, in an interview with The Associated Press, said the Department of Justice did investigate voter fraud connected to the 2020 election but concluded, "to date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election."
Weeks later Barr resigned just a month shy before Trump's term ended.
The Committee is poring over hundreds of documents that were just released by the National Archives. So far it has interviewed about 400 witnesses and hopes to begin public hearings in the spring.
