January 6 panel reveals Republicans who sought pardons from Trump

At least five members of Congress asked for pardons for backing former president's bid to overturn 2020 election

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  Former assistant US attorney general Steven Engel, former acting US attorney general Jeffrey Rosen and former acting US deputy attorney general Richard Donoghue attend the fifth public hearing of the US house select committee into the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol. EPA

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  Day five of a planned eight hearings. Reuters

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  Mr Engel, Mr Rosen and Mr Donoghue prepare to testify. EPA

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  Mr Engel, Mr Rosen and Mr Donoghue are sworn in to testify during the fifth hearing. EPA

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  Witnesses testified that former president Donald Trump pressured election officials to find votes. Reuters

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  Mr Donoghue testified that there was never enough evidence to overturn the 2020 election. Reuters

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  Former White House senior adviser Eric Herschmann said of former assistant attorney general Jeff Clark's letter to the Georgia electorate: 'Congratulations. You've just admitted the first step or act you take as attorney general would be committing a felony and violating rule 6C. You're clearly the right candidate for this job.' Reuters

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  Michael Fanone, retired Metropolitan Police Department officer, actor and activist Sean Penn and Daniel Hodges, MPD officer, attend the fifth hearing of the select committee. Bloomberg

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  Penn shakes hands with Washington Metropolitan police officer Harry Dunn, who was assaulted during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Reuters

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  Mr Fanone speaks with Penn at the hearing. Bloomberg

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  As an activist, Penn frequently visits Washington to champion many causes. Bloomberg

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  Mr Fanone was assaulted during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Reuters

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  US Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the committee, speaks during the fifth public hearing. Reuters

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  Mr Fanone and Penn react to testimony during the fifth public hearing. Reuters

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  Jeffrey Clark, former US assistant attorney general, pressured colleagues to sign a letter alleging that Georgia officials had committed voter fraud. AFP

At least five Republican members of the US Congress asked former president Donald Trump for pardons after backing his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, the House of Representatives committee investigating that January 6 insurrection revealed.

The names were revealed on Thursday, the fifth day of the public hearings, in which the panel heard from former Department of Justice officials about the ex-president's efforts to “corrupt” the agency.

Former acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen and other officials said that Mr Trump had considered replacing him with loyalist Jeffrey Clark, a mid-level department environmental lawyer who embraced the former president's claims of election fraud.

That plan was abandoned after top officials in the Justice Department threatened to resign en masse.

Video evidence aired from other Trump-era White House officials showed Republicans Andy Biggs, Mo Brooks, Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert and Scott Perry sought pardons from Mr Trump, which could have prevented them from being prosecuted for any involvement related to the events of January 6.

Committee member Adam Kinzinger said the only reason a person would ask for a pardon “is if you think you’ve committed a crime”.

Mr Brooks acknowledged he sought a pardon from Mr Trump. In a letter posted on Twitter, the Alabama congressman said he would “voluntarily” appear before the January 6 committee but outlined a list of conditions, including that his deposition be conducted during a public hearing.

Representatives Biggs, Gohmert and Perry all denied the allegations in separate statements posted on Twitter.

Not directly addressing the allegation, Mr Gaetz tweeted that the January 6 committee was an “unconstitutional political sideshow”.

Republican Jim Jordan, an ally of the former president, asked the White House about pardons but did not request one for himself, said Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to appoint Mr Jordan, alongside fellow Trump loyalist Jim Banks, to the January 6 panel after they were recommended by Republican leader Kevin McCarthy.

Speaking on Fox News on Thursday night, Mr Jordan said he had not requested a pardon for himself and called the hearing “more lies, more fake news”.

Mr Trump never acted on the reported pardon requests.

The Associated Press contributed to this report