Adam Schiff Says Jan. 6 Committee Will Explore Trump's Connections To White Nationalist Groups

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said the Jan. 6 committee is looking into the connection between extremist groups and former President Donald Trump.

A member of the House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol, Schiff added that the committee is specifically looking into connections between Trump and far-right extremist groups The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. Both groups have faced criminal charges for their involvement and planning of the Jan. 6 insurrection, with 12 members having been sentenced.

Two leaders, Stewart Rhodes and Enrique Tarrio, are in prison under seditious conspiracy charges to delay counting electoral votes for the 2020 election.

Schiff said Sunday on CBS News' "Face the Nation," that the committee already showed "some links between the president, the key advisors like Roger Stone and Mike Flynn, and elements of these white nationalist groups."

He also restated his commitment that Trump should face the consequences of his actions --specifically those actions leading up to, on the day of, and after Jan. 6, 2021.

Schiff said those actions "invoke various criminal laws and his conduct ought to be the subject of investigation" by the Department of Justice. Ultimately, that decision will fall on Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Schiff added that exploring connections to far-right extremism is a "component of our investigation [that] continues."

The last of eight hearings ended on Thursday. The committee promised that there will be more when they conduct more interviews and gather more evidence.

“We'll be presenting new information in the fall,” Schiff confirmed.

Schiff also said that the committee would subpoena Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Ginni Thomas’ texts garnered national attention after the messages showed her commitment to overturning the 2020 election.

“In a case where Congress is trying to get documents, and those documents might involve [Clarence Thomas’ own] wife, that's the line that's been crossed,” Schiff said.