Jan. 6 Panel Seeks Interview With Newt Gingrich Over Alleged Efforts in Election Fraud Claims

Rita LiSeptember 2, 2022

The Jan. 6 select committee asked former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich for a “voluntary” interview on his role in perpetuating the 2020 election fraud claims that had led to the U.S. Capital breach, according to a Thursday letter from the panel.

Written by chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the 3-page letter (pdf) said the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 breach has obtained messages between Gingrich and senior advisers to then-President Donald Trump, including Jared Kushner and Jason Miller.

The exchanges allegedly unveiled his potential efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election by providing Trump staff “detailed input into television advertisements” that repeated and relied upon what the committee called “false claims” of voter fraud, according to the letter.

“These advertising efforts were not designed to encourage voting for a particular candidate. Instead, these efforts attempted to cast doubt on the outcome of the election after voting had already taken place,” the committee argued, noting that the ads ran in the days leading up to the Dec. 14 meeting, where state electors would vote for president and vice president.

In an alleged email Gingrich sent to the Trump team on Dec. 8, 2020, responding to a proposed script for a television advertisement about election fraud, he suggested disclosing “new verifiable information” to the American public.

“If we inform the American people in a way they find convincing and it arouses their anger[,] they will then bring pressure on legislators and governors,” Gingrich wrote, cited by the committee.

Thompson claimed in the letter that such information suggests the former House speaker “sought ways to expand the reach of this messaging” in a bid to arise public sentiment. “We would like to interview you about these and other communications and speak with you about your efforts to advise President Trump and his