Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik has agreed to a “voluntary interview” with the House Select Committee probing the January 6, 2021 violent protest at the U.S. Capitol, The Hill reports.
Kerik’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, told the Hill that he and Kerik had planned to appear before the committee on Thursday for Kerik’s scheduled deposition, but then walk out over their objection to the panel’s structure.
“I believe that they lack the authority to conduct depositions,” Parlatore told the Hill. “However, Mr. Kerik does want to meet with them and to provide them with information and so therefore, we will do it by voluntary interview.”
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., serves as the Democrat-led panel’s co-chair, but many have argued that Republicans must have a ranking member on the panel to meet House rules. Courts have never ruled on the issue.
Parlatore told the Hill he was set to file a lawsuit following Thursday’s planned deposition to seek a ruling on whether the committee has “the power to conduct depositions because they don’t have the proper constitution.”
Such a voluntary meeting, which has been done with other witnesses, would not be under oath, but the committee could subpoena Kerik if they don’t think the meeting was useful, the Hill noted.
Kerik was involved in obtaining space for the Trump team’s “war room” at the Willard Hotel and has told The Washington Post he billed the campaign over $55,000 for rooms for Trump’s legal team and $10,000 in travel expenses. He also was reportedly behind efforts looking into campaign fraud.
He has shared documents with the committee already and has previously told Newsmax that he has “overwhelming evidence of election fraud.”
“I want to testify publicly,” he told Newsmax in December. “I think the American people should be able to hear firsthand the overwhelming evidence we have on election fraud.”
Via Newsmax