‘You May Have Just Perjured Yourself’: Massie Goes After Garland Over Jan. 6 Statements

Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie suggested Wednesday that Attorney General Merrick Garland may have perjured himself over his statements about Jan. 6.

Massie played a compilation of previous testimony from DOJ, FBI and other agency officials refusing to comment on ongoing investigations into Jan. 6-related incidents. In one instance shown in the clip, Massie asked Garland how many agents were assets of the U.S. government on Jan. 5 and 6 who were “agitating” the crowd to go into the Capitol and how many agents went into the Capitol. Garland refused to answer.

“Peter Navarro was indicted for contempt of Congress — aren’t you in fact in contempt of Congress when you gave us this answer?” Massie said. “This is an answer that’s appropriate at a press conference. It’s not an answer that’s appropriate when we are asking questions … you cannot continue to give us these answers. Aren’t you in fact in contempt of Congress when you refuse to answer?”

Garland invoked the U.S. Constitution, arguing the separation of powers means the executive branch has control over investigations and that out of respect for those involved and due process, he is not obligated to comment on an ongoing probe.

Massie argued Garland was impeding Congress’ ability to conduct oversight.

“Can you answer [my question] now?” Massie asked.

“I don’t know the answer to that question,” Garland said.

“You don’t know how many there were, or there were none?” Massie pressed.

“I don’t know the answer to either of those questions. If there were any, I don’t know how many, or whether there are any.”

“I think you may have just perjured yourself, that you don’t know that there were any?” Massie said. “You wanna say that again? That you don’t know if there were any?”

“I have no personal knowledge of this matter. I think what I said the last time–” (RELATED: ‘But You Must, Sir’: Merrick Garland Refuses To Discuss Meetings With Top Hunter Biden Prosecutor)

“You’ve had two years to find out, and – by the way, that was in reference to Ray Epps, and yesterday you indicted him, isn’t that a wonderful coincidence?” Massie said, arguing the DOJ is “sending grandmas to prison” and putting people in jail for decades for filming or being present in the Capitol building on Jan. 6, but Epps, who was on video appearing to encourage protesters to enter the Capitol, was charged with a misdemeanor.

“The American public isn’t buying it,” Massie said before yielding his time.