Jan Wolfe and Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – Jeffrey Bossert Clark was a former Justice Department top official who declined to give evidence before a U.S. House of Representatives panel to examine him over allegations that he helped ex-President Donald Trump win the 2020 Presidential election.

Clark, Clark’s lawyer wrote to the Select Committee of U.S. House of Representatives regarding the Jan. 6th attack on Capitol. He stated that Trump’s conversations were private and confidential.

His attorney Harry MacDougald sent a note to House Select Committee Chairman Bennie Thomson stating that Mr. Clark was subject to “a sacred trust”. Clark’s advice for Trump was protected under executive privilege. This legal doctrine keeps certain White House communications secret.

“Any attempts – by either the House -or by the current president – to enter that sphere must be resisted,” Clark wrote. He also noted that Clark was unable to answer questions about depositions at the moment.

Un spokesperson from the committee could not be reached for comment immediately.

After several individuals claimed that Clark encouraged Trump’s ex-Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen to fire him, Clark was questioned. Rosen and other sources claimed that Clark was looking to get himself installed so he can launch investigation into Trump’s election fraud claims.

Rosen and Richard Donoghue, Rosen’s former deputy, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Clark met behind their backs with Trump and pressured them repeatedly to write letters to Georgia (and other swing states) urging them to call for legislative sessions in order to challenge the Presidential election results.

Clark requested that Rosen and Donoghue refuse to grant his requests. Trump thought about removing Rosen to install Clark. But he wasn’t convinced when he discovered that Clark was the subject of a mass resignation by all remaining Justice Department assistant attorneys general.

As part of an overall effort to find out what Trump tried to do to keep power, the House Select Committee subpoenaed Clark.

Clark’s conduct is now under scrutiny by the Justice Department inspector General. They are also the subject of at most three ethics complaints by Washington D.C.’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

Clark is the latest witness to jump on the House Select Committee’s request to give testimony. This follows the footsteps of Steve Bannon, an ex-Trump adviser.

On Oct. 21, the Democratic-led House of Representatives recommended criminal charges against Bannon. He was the former Republican president’s chief strategist and refused to give evidence in the investigation.

Bannon will be charged with criminal offenses by the Justice Department.