Jan. 6 Committee Interrogates Trump's Former Cabinet Members, National Security Adviser To Gather Evidence Ahead of Public Hearings Next Month

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot has used the August congressional recess to gather more evidence as it prepares to resume public hearings next month, dispatching investigators to Europe and delving deeper into discussions by former President Donald J. Trump's cabinet about removing him from office following the riot.

The panel has been conducting closed-door interviews with senior Trump administration officials to learn more about the period between January 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters attacked Congress, and January 20, 2021, when President Biden was sworn in, including discussions about invoking the 25th Amendment.

Jan.6 Panel Interviews Robert O'Brien

According to two persons familiar with the committee's work, the panel interrogated Robert O'Brien, Trump's former national security advisor, for several hours on Tuesday.

Investigators questioned O'Brien about discussions within the cabinet about whether to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from office and whether he considered resigning. They also asked about the access Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and election conspiracy theorist, had to Trump.

Matthew Pottinger, O'Brien's former deputy, testified publicly before the committee last month, describing how he felt driven to leave following the events of that day. NBC News has previously reported on O'Brien's role on the committee. He is the latest in a long line of senior Trump administration officials to testify in recent weeks.

Earlier last month, the panel questioned Elaine Chao, the former Transportation Secretary. Chao, who is married to Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, also quit following the Jan. 6 violence.

The committee's investigators have also obtained private evidence from former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the former president's mental state at the time of the assault and his fitness for office. They also questioned him about talks he allegedly had with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin regarding the prospect of invoking the 25th Amendment following the assault.

According to an individual familiar with Pompeo's interview, he was evasive in response to the committee's questions. Pompeo, who had previously categorically rejected any such talks, provided a more subdued account this week. He recently stated that the panel was hunting witches.

The panel has also sought information from Betsy DeVos, Trump's education secretary, who has stated that she discussed the 25th Amendment with Vice President Mike Pence, as per New York Times.

Aides Travel to Copenhagen To View Stone Footage

Aides of the Jan. 6 select committee flew to Copenhagen last week to watch documentary evidence relating to Donald Trump ally and pardon recipient Roger Stone. A select panel of aides saw segments of more than 170 hours of footage shot by a Danish documentary team led by Christoffer Guldbrandsen. That squad, known as The Ark, followed Stone for extended periods over the course of two years, including on Jan. 6, 2021, when a crowd rushed the Capitol in an attempt to maintain Trump in power.

The study trip to Denmark is the latest sign of the Jan. 6 committee's continued and active inquiry, even as it nears the delivery of its final report and legislative recommendations this autumn. The panel has indicated that it plans to keep up its strong pace until the conclusion of the current Congress, on January 3, next year.

The nature of the footage the committee aides saw, and if it included any raw footage or material that isn't likely to feature in Guldbrandsen's upcoming film, was unclear, Politico reported.