Former Trump National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien Reportedly Questioned For Hours By Jan. 6 Committee Amid Widening Probe

Zinger Key Points
  • A slew of Donald Trump's former cabinet members have been questions by the Jan. 6 committee.
  • Most recently, former national security advisor Robert O'Brien deposed before the committee, reports say.

The focus of the Jan. 6 investigation is shifting towards events following the Capitol Hill insurrection and the House Select Committee investigating the riot has been brisk with its probes.

What Happened: The committee on Tuesday investigated Robert O’Brien — who formerly served as the national security advisor under former U.S. President Donald Trump — for several hours, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the committee’s work.

Thus far, the direction of the probe was moving along the lines of getting to know what happened in the run-up and on the day of the incident. The probe happening at a time when the Senate and House are on recess shows the committee’s intent on getting things to a quick conclusion.

O’Brien was questioned about what transpired when the cabinet met to discuss whether to invoke the 25th Amendment to oust Trump from office, the Times said. He was also asked whether Trump was contemplating stepping down as president and also the role of election conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell.

See also: Trump's PR Response To Raid May Not Work: Lawyer Says 'He Should Be Worried About All These Investigations'

Probe Net Widens: Matthew Pottinger, who served as former deputy national security advisor, was called for public testimony by the committee in July, according to the Times. While testifying, the former federal official reportedly said he felt compelled to quit following the Jan. 6 events.

Earlier this month, the committee interviewed Elaine Chao, who served as transportation secretary under Trump and resigned following the Jan. 6 violence. Chao is the wife of Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

The committee has also taken testimony privately from former secretary of state Mike Pompeo about Trump’s state of mind during the insurrection and his fitness for office, the report said. Pompeo was also asked about his discussions with former Treasury Secretary Steve Munchin about invoking the 25th Amendment following the attacks.

The committee also reportedly traveled to Copenhagen last week to review documents of Trump confidant Roger Stone Jr.

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Comments
Loading...
Posted In: GovernmentNewsPoliticsGeneralDonald TrumpJan. 6 hearingsRobert O’Brien
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!