The now-long-defunct Jan. 6 House Select Committee’s members are reportedly privately talking potential pardons with President Joe Biden in the final hours of his administration, hoping to protect themselves from legal accountability from the incoming administration under President-elect Donald Trump.
Former Chair Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., is among the leading House members fearing accountability from Trump, who has been talking about criminal destruction of evidence, including that which would exonerate him against former special counsel Jack Smith’s ceased cases, Punchbowl News reported Tuesday morning.
“I believe Donald Trump when he says he’s going to inflict retribution on this,” Thompson said on Monday night. “I believe when he says my name and Liz Cheney and the others. I believe him.”
Biden has wide pardon power before he officially leaves office Monday, and Thompson is talking with White House legal counsel about preemptive pardons to shield him from criminal charges, like Trump has alleged with the destruction of evidence and the House Oversight report has alleged with witness tampering on behalf of former Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney.
Congress’ Speech or Debate Clause does protect House members to some extent, but Thompson remains worried, he told Punchbowl News.
“A lot of people have said if [Trump] said he’s going to do things, believe him,” Thompson said. “If the president offered a pardon based on the work of the committee, Bennie Thompson would accept it.”