An official who falsely claimed China changed votes with thermostats tells DOJ officials that Trump offered him the attorney general after talking about nullifying the election results | News Today

• Jeffrey Clark, a former DOJ official, spoke with Trump about canceling the 2020 election in January 2021.

• The Washington Post reported on Tuesday about Clark’s efforts to land the role of attorney general.

• Clark reportedly told Trump he would investigate voter fraud if he came in first.

Amid the chaotic aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, Jeffrey Clark — a Justice Department official appointed by Trump and overseeing the department’s civilian division at the time — used his relationship with the soon-to-be- ousted president to make a game for the top of the country. law enforcement’s position and nearly squeezed it, thanks to Trump’s increasingly desperate attempts to hold on to power, according to the Washington Post.

After Trump’s defeat in November 2020, Clark became a staunch ally in the incumbent president’s effort to nullify the election results by spreading unsubstantiated allegations of fraud, even as the Justice Department refuted the lies of Trump.

When Attorney General Bill Barr resigned from his position in early December 2020, Jeffrey Rosen took over the position. Previous reports from The New York Times alleged that Clark and Trump were working to try to replace Rosen with Clark, who offered to investigate baseless allegations of voter fraud – including Clark’s bizarre claim that China had used thermostats to change ballots during elections – in an apparent attempt to overturn election results.

As the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 uprising now focuses on Clark’s role in Trump’s efforts to stay in power, witnesses have offered the panel new details about a Jan. 3, 2021, meeting. in the Oval Office between the President and senior DOJ officials in which Clark reportedly made his final bid for the Attorney General position.

But according to the Post, Clark started laying the groundwork even earlier. The outlet reported that Clark met with Trump in the Oval Office shortly before Christmas 2020. The private meeting piqued Rosen’s anger and Clark responded by apologizing “somewhat” and promising not to do this again, according to the newspaper.

The story continues

Days later, Clark sent a draft letter to Rosen and Richard Donoghue — the acting attorney general and acting deputy attorney general, respectively — asking that it be sent to Georgia officials. The letter urged state officials to investigate and potentially reverse Biden’s narrow victory in the state.

In an email to his superiors, Clark told Rosen and Donoghue that he thought the letter should be sent “as soon as possible”. Donoghue and Rosen have strongly rejected Clark’s efforts, according to testimony from former DOJ officials and emails reviewed by the Post.

Shortly after, however, Rosen learned that Clark had met with Trump again privately and had not informed his superiors, the outlet reported. It was at this point that Clark allegedly told Rosen that Trump had asked him to consider becoming attorney general, once again angering Rosen.

Clark further fueled the flame when he told Rosen he could keep his job as attorney general if he changed his mind about sending Georgia’s letter, according to the Post. Rosen refused.

Then, on January 3, 2021, Clark told Rosen that Trump had decided to offer him the job of attorney general and that he had decided to accept, the outlet reported. The conversation prompted Rosen to call Trump and request a meeting.

Later that same day, Clark, Rosen, Donoghue and other Justice Department and White House officials gathered for a meeting with the President in the Oval Office. Donoghue testified before the House that when he walked into the room, Clark was telling Trump he would investigate and uncover widespread voter fraud if he was named attorney general.

Throughout the meeting, Trump repeatedly berated Rosen and Donoghue for not pursuing the voter fraud allegations, the Post reported. The president also repeatedly considered the idea of ​​replacing Rosen with Clark. But when Justice Department officials in the room told Trump that replacing Rosen with Clark would lead to mass resignations at the department, Trump ultimately rescinded his offer to Clark, according to the outlet.

A lawyer for Clark did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

The committee of January 6 Tuesday postponed its next public hearing, which was scheduled for Wednesday. The panel did not give a reason. The next hearing was expected to focus on Trump’s efforts to install loyalists in the Justice Department in a bid to nullify the 2020 election.

Read the original article on Business Insider