Grassley Decries Democrats’ Scrutiny on Post-Election Trump DOJ: The President ‘Has Every Right to Discuss Ideas’ With Advisers

In floor remarks on Monday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) attacked the House select committee investigating the January 6 storming of the Capitol.

The aim of the committee is to ascertain a full accounting of that day and the happenings leading up to it. On that morning, then-President Donald Trump held a rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., where he repeated the bogus claim that the 2020 election had been stolen from him. Some members of the crowd eventually breached the Capitol and committed violence against police officers.

Last week, the committee heard testimony from former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and former Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue. Among the revelations was a letter that had been drafted by DOJ official Jeffrey Clark, who sought the two men’s signatures on the piece of correspondence to top officials in Georgia. The letter, which called on them to convene a special legislative session to investigate claims of nonexistent widespread voter fraud, was ultimately not sent.

“The president has every right to discuss ideas and strategies with his closest advisers,” said Grassley. “The president, whether that president is a Democrat or Republican, should feel unrestrained to bring ideas to his closest staff for robust discussion. Eventually the facts will come out, and Trump will have to address them – good or bad – depending on the facts at hand.”

Clark’s letter read in part,

The Department of Justice is investigating various irregularities in the 2020 election for President of the United States… at this time we have identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple States, including the State of Georgia. While the Department of Justice believes the Governor of Georgia should immediately call special session to consider this important and urgent matter… if he declines to do so, we share with you our view that the Georgia General Assembly has implied authority under the Constitution of the United States to call itself into session for the limited of purpose of considering issues pertaining to the appointment of Presidential Electors.

“Unlike my Democratic colleagues,” said Grassley, “I won’t discuss the evidence publicly at this point in time.”

The senator noted that neither Rosen nor Donoghue, who were highly skeptical of Clark’s claims, were removed from their positions.

Watch above via C-SPAN2