Sarah N. Lynch and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Jeffrey Bossert Clark from the US Justice Department appeared Wednesday in front of Congress to answer questions regarding his attempt to support former President Donald Trump’s false allegations of electoral fraud.

Clark was seen entering the room in which the U.S. House of Representatives offices house the committee that investigates the attack on Jan. 6, 2021. The spokesperson for the committee declined to comment.

Clark served as acting head of Justice Department’s Civil Division. A Dec. 28, 2020 letter was sent to Georgia lawmakers. It falsely stated that department had discovered “significant concerns that might have impacted on the outcome of election in multiple States including Georgia.”

Draft letter asked state lawmakers to hold a special session in an effort to change the election results.

Clark tried to get former Acting AttorneyGeneral Jeff Rosen and ex-Acting Deputy AttorneyGeneral Rich Donoghue on board to sign the letter. They refused.

Rosen and Donoghue told U.S. Senate investigators later that Clark had also met privately with Trump in order to lobby him to oust Rosen. This allowed Clark to be appointed acting attorney general and allow him to launch investigations into voter fraud.

Clark declined to answer questions from the committee in November about Trump’s legal advice. He said such conversations were confidential.

On December 1, 2021 the panel voted to bring contempt of Congress against Clark. However, it requested a vote by the whole House because Clark’s lawyer stated that Clark intends to invoke the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects his right against self incrimination.