The Jan. 6 committee preceded its dramatic Trump subpoena vote last week with a montage of former administration insiders repeatedly invoking the 5th Amendment. It was characteristically clever storytelling, driving home the stark contrast between the holdouts and the many other witnesses — most of them also administration insiders — who recognized their duty, however reluctantly, to provide truthful information to Congress.
We saw a parade of cravenness: Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark provided rote "5th" responses to even the most bland questions, such as Rep. Liz Cheney's inquiry of Flynn, "Do you believe in the peaceful transfer of power?"
These Trump loyalists, and others, are still helping to protect the former president from a true reckoning for his antidemocratic actions. Many of them may well have committed crimes themselves. The House committee lacked the time and muscle to force them to cooperate. Now the Justice Department should aggressively pursue their testimony and investigate their possible criminal conduct.
