Trump ally Doug Mastriano’s January 6 committee appearance ends without a single question answered, source says

By Sara Murray, Zachary Cohen and Kara Scannell, CNN

Trump ally Doug Mastriano’s virtual appearance Tuesday before the House January 6 committee only lasted about 15 minutes and “he didn’t answer a single question,” according to a source familiar with the matter.

Mastriano’s attorney cut off the virtual appearance soon after it began, the source said. His lawyer, Tim Parlatore, took issue with several procedural matters related to the deposition, and raised questions about the legality of the subpoena that Mastriano received from the panel, the source added.

“We were there for 15 minutes. It was clear that the committee was unable to comply with the regulations regarding use of deposition authority and moreover has no interest in complying with the regulations,” Parlatore said. “We’re happy to provide the information if they can either do it fairly and legally or if we can reach a resolution on how to do a voluntary interview which minimizes the risk of election interference.”

Mastriano is the GOP gubernatorial nominee in Pennsylvania, and was a central player supporting former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Mastriano was also among the mob of Trump supporters on Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021, during the insurrection, though he didn’t go into the Capitol itself and hasn’t been charged with any crimes.

CNN previously reported that Mastriano’s appearance was expected to be brief and unproductive because Mastriano’s camp and the committee were at an impasse over issues like whether Mastriano could independently videotape or record his appearance.

A spokesperson for the committee declined to comment about Mastriano’s appearance.

The-CNN-Wire
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