Over the weekend, CNN learned former Trump aide Dan Scavino was served at Mar-a-Lago.
Investigators are threatening to pursue criminal charges against Steve Bannon if he doesn’t comply.
Now, as CNN’s Paula Reid reports, there’s a new scathing letter from a Capitol police whistleblower accusing leadership of “inaction” among other things.
There are growing signs of democracy in peril as top Republicans double down on the big lie as they turn to the 2022 midterms.
On Sunday, number two House Republican Steve Scalise refused to acknowledge president Biden was legitimately elected. He said, “If you look at a number of states, they didn’t follow their state-passed laws.”
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley appeared alongside Trump at a rally in Iowa Saturday. Grassley said, “So if I didn’t accept the endorsement of a person that’s got 91% of the Republican voters in Iowa, I wouldn’t be too smart, and I’m smart enough to accept that endorsement.”
In February, Grassley rejected the big lie in a statement saying, “The reality is, he lost. He brought over 60 lawsuits and lost all but one of them.”
But this weekend, Grassley looked on as the former president continues to lie about his loss. Trump said, “First of all, he didn’t get elected, okay? Forget that.”
Representative Liz Cheney shot back at her fellow Republicans tweeting, “Perpetuating the big lie is an attack on the core of our constitutional republic.”
As Trump continues to undermine democracy, the House Select Committee wants answers. Committee Chair Jaime Raskin said, “This is the United States Congress demanding their compliance with an investigation that goes the right the heart of American democracy and national security.”
Former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former Pentagon official Kash Patel are “engaging” with the committee while Steve Bannon said he intends to defy orders.
CNN learned that former Trump aide Dan Scavino was served with a subpoena on Friday after the committee had trouble finding him. It is unclear if he will cooperate.
CNN has also obtained a letter from a Capitol police whistleblower accusing the agency’s two senior leaders of mishandling intelligence surrounding the insurrection.
The whistleblower identifies themself as a former high-ranking officer with 31 years at Capitol police and says they came forward because Assistant Chiefs Yogananda Pittman and acting Assistant Chief Sean Gallagher played a role in disciplining officers for actions on January 6th, but feels they were never personally held fully accountable.
The letter sent late last month and first reported by Politico claims that two of the top U.S. Capitol police officers failed to act as violence unfolded and that Pittman lied to Congress earlier this year when she told senate investigators that vital intel was shared with police leadership.
The whistleblower writes, “…this information would have changed the paradigm of that day.”
A spokesman denied to Politico that Pittman lied to Congress.
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