Lead Jan. 6 Investigator Reacts to ‘Damning’ New Evidence Against Trump in Special Counsel Case

Tim Heaphy, the lead investigator for the House Select Committee that investigated the January 6 Capitol riot, has reacted to the “damning” new evidence presented by special counsel Jack Smith in the case against former President Donald Trump. Heaphy, a former U.S. attorney, told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell that Smith’s findings advance the work of the congressional investigation, particularly with the testimony of former Vice President Mike Pence.

“It’s meat on the bones that the select committee put in place,” Heaphy explained. “We told the story, this narrative of an intentional multi-part plan led by the former president to disrupt the joint session [of Congress] and prevent the transfer of power. The pleading puts important new meat on those bones.”

Heaphy noted that the Select Committee had not been able to interview Pence, as the former vice president had refused to cooperate with the congressional probe. However, Pence’s testimony to Smith’s team adds crucial evidence supporting the committee’s theory. “He provides evidence very, very consistent with the theory that we laid out,” Heaphy said.

The new developments come after U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan unsealed a 165-page filing from Smith’s office, detailing Trump’s pressure campaign on Pence and other Republicans as part of a broader effort to overturn his 2020 election loss. The court must now determine which of Trump’s actions should be shielded from prosecution under the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling.

Heaphy highlighted the significance of Trump’s actions leading up to and on January 6, particularly his role in inciting the mob. “The president’s leadership, his awareness of the fact that he had lost, his incessant pressure on the vice president, and ultimately, I think the most damning thing is that he launches this angry mob to put public pressure on the vice president on the morning of Jan. 6 in this last-gasp effort to achieve his goal,” Heaphy said.

While much of Smith’s evidence aligns with the Select Committee’s findings, Heaphy emphasized that the special counsel had access to evidence the committee could not obtain. “It’s consistent with the story that we told, but has some really significant steps forward because Jack Smith got some evidence we weren’t able to get.”

Heaphy’s comments underscore the gravity of the new information in Smith’s case against Trump, further solidifying the legal battle surrounding the former president’s role in the January 6 insurrection.