ATLANTA — The Jan. 6 committee wrapped up its final hearing Thursday afternoon and laid the blame for the insurrection at the feet of former President Donald Trump.
Georgia was once again front and center during the hearing with committee members highlighting events at the Georgia State Capitol, including the former president’s phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
“So, what are we going to do here, folks? I only need 11,000 votes, fellas. I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break,” Trump said during that phone call.
Channel 2 Action News went to Washington, D.C., in June when Raffensperger testified before the committee. In an exclusive interview minutes after his testimony, Raffensperger told Channel 2 political reporter Richard Elliot they were just doing their jobs.
“We swear an oath to it. It’s very important, and if everyone just does their job and just let the chips fall where they may, but that’s just our job, to do our job,” Raffensperger said.
The committee also talked about the pressure put on Georgia lawmakers by people like Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani.
Channel 2 Action News was there when he testified before a state senate subcommittee and made allegations that multiple state and federal investigations proved were not true.
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Channel 2 Action News was also there days later when the Georgia Republican Party assembled a slate of false electors at the state capitol — also highlighted Thursday by the Jan. 6 committee.
Trump supporter Georgia Rep. Jody Hice strongly criticized the committee on Twitter, calling it nothing more than “the left’s hyper-partisan political theater.”
But Republican Rep. Liz Cheney insisted Trump was to blame for Jan. 6 and for everything leading up to it.
“No president can defy the rule of law and act this way in a constitutional republic, period,” Cheney said.
The committee members voted Thursday to subpoena Trump to testify before the committee.
As this goes on, the Fulton County special purpose grand jury is also investigating election interference and has already heard testimony from some of the same people mentioned Thursday. District Attorney Fani Willis has not ruled out subpoenaing Trump as well.
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