Reps. Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert, and others reportedly asked for pardons post-Jan. 6
 
The Jan. 6 committee dropped a huge bombshell during its fifth hearing on Thursday, revealing which GOP lawmakers allegedly sought presidential pardons in the wake of the Capitol riot.
Reps. Matt Gaetz (Fl.), Mo Brooks (Ala.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), and Scott Perry (Penn.) all requested pardons, according to testimony from Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio) also mentioned a pardon, but never directly asked for one, Hutchinson added. She also noted Gaetz and Brooks were pushing for a blanket pardon for those involved in a December meeting regarding Jan. 6.
Perry had previously denied the committee's account.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
 
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The only reason I know to ask for a pardon is because you think you committed a crime," said Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who led the Thursday hearing centered around former President Donald Trump's attempts at pressuring the Justice Department to investigate the 2020 election.
In video testimony played during the hearing, ex-White House lawyer Eric Herschmann also said Gaetz had requested a pardon. "The general tone was, we may get prosecuted because we were defensive of, you know, the president's positions on these things," Herschmann said. "The pardon that he was discussing, requesting, was as broad as you could describe," he added.
Another ex-Trump aide, John McEntee, also told the committee Gaetz mentioned requesting a pardon, and that he had heard mutterings of a blanket pardon.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
- 
 Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariff Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax 
- 
 Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICE Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch 
- 
 Shutdown stalemate nears key pain points Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff 
- 
 Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan ad Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy 
- 
 NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footage NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges 
- 
 Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East Wing Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction 
- 
 Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 more Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters 
- 
 Trump demands millions from his administration Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations 



