Stunning new details

 

July 2, 2022

This week, testimony by former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson revealed stunning new details about President Donald Trump’s actions on the day of the Jan. 6 insurrection and the involvement of some in Trump’s inner circle. It felt like Hutchinson was the kind of witness the select committee had been waiting to bring to the public — words straight from the mouth of someone who witnessed some of Trump’s behavior on Jan. 6. We hope that the committee will continue to pursue the testimony of those who witnessed Trump in the lead up to the insurrection and on Jan. 6 itself, and that the Justice Department doggedly investigates everyone involved in the former president’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election. But we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight how Tuesday’s hearing displayed two crucial pillars of government accountability: congressional oversight and whistleblowers. The select committee investigating Jan. 6 has obtained testimony from key witnesses and uncovered new information about the potential involvement of lawmakers and White House officials in efforts to overturn the election. The members of the select committee have made it clear that they’ll continue to seek more information, as they continue to subpoena witnesses. Hutchinson should be acknowledged for coming forward publicly as a whistleblower. It’s not easy to do, especially as Hutchinson was likely aware of Trump’s history of lashing out against those who speak out against him. We hope her actions inspire others to come forward and testify before the committee. Another essential pillar of government accountability is the equal application of the rule of law to the highest levels of power. We are still waiting to see if the DOJ agrees. POGO EVENTS The Constitution Project at POGO is back with another virtual book club event: This month, we're reading Reece Jones' Nobody Is Protected: How the Border Patrol Became the Most Dangerous Police Force in the United States. Save your spot today! ICYMI Virtual Fireside Chat: America's Ban on Books Last Thursday, The Ridenhour Prizes hosted free expression advocates for a conversation on one of the most widespread forms of censorship in the United States: Book banning. Watch Now PODCAST The Continuous Action The Continuous Action is a five-part podcast exploring the labor of democracy, working to pin down what our troubled republic demands of us, ordinary citizens, right now. Listen Now WATCHLIST Watch now on YouTube: Our explainer on the massive amount of power and influence the Supreme Court holds over our democracy OVERHEARD ONE LINERS “There's an old expression about insanity and doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. Congress has clearly entered the realm of the insane when it comes to financial conflicts of interest and they need to do something very different in order to give the public the result we deserve and expect.” Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Government Affairs Manager, in Business Insider   “It is past time for long-term [Supreme Court] reforms that dilute the justices’ power, such as term limits and restructuring the court’s decision-making processes.” David Janovsky, Analyst at The Constitution Project, in Political IQ Enjoyed this weekend’s edition of the Weekly Spotlight? Forward to a friend. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Welcome! 👋 Subscribe here.   WANT MORE FROM POGO? Eyes on the federal government from every angle:   Paper Trail: Quick links to the news in the world of government oversight The Bunker: Military intelligence from POGO's Mark Thompson The Bridge: Analysis on the latest in government ethics from Walt Shaub Sidebar: Key context on the latest constitutional news from the TCP team Click here to update your newsletter subscriptions.   🎧 The Continuous Action Podcast 📺 YouTube 📱 Instagram

pogo.org The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing. We champion reforms to achieve a more effective, ethical, and accountable federal government that safeguards constitutional principles.

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