Sources tell CNN the committee is negotiating terms for a possible interview with former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe. Given the classified nature of Ratcliffe’s former role, there are unique issues for the two sides to resolve. The panel will also interview former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as soon as this week and speak with former acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvey on Thursday. Several former Cabinet officials are known to have already met with the committee, including Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, Deputy Defense Secretary Chris Miller and Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen. The committee also met with former Attorney General Bill Barr, but he had left the administration before the events of January 6. The panel also previously interviewed Ken Cuccinelli and contacted Chad Wolf, two top officials from the Trump-era Department of Homeland Security, CNN reported last year. Interest in the 25th Amendment and the activities following the attack on Capitol Hill comes after former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified last month of a “great concern” that the Cabinet and then-Vice President Mike Pence could attempt to remove the President from his duties. “There was a lot of concern about a possible invocation of the 25th Amendment, and there were concerns about what would happen in the Senate if it was done,” Hutchinson testified. But Mark Short, a former chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence, told CNN on Thursday that he “doesn’t recall there being any serious discussion” about invoking the 25th Amendment, saying its use would not be practical. “The reality is there’s 10 days left in the administration,” Short said. “That was a political ploy. And, besides, you know, when they drafted the 25th Amendment, it has higher standards, higher hurdles than even impeachment. While impeachment requires a simple majority in the House and a supermajority in the Senate, that requires approval by a cabinet, plus a supermajority in the House, plus a supermajority in the Senate.” Short added: “This was not happening 10 days into the administration … This was really just a political ploy by Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress to try to put pressure to do this and it was going nowhere on the White House Our house. .” A select committee spokesman declined to comment. CNN has reached out to Mnuchin for comment. ABC News was the first to report Mnuchin’s interview.

DOJ’s criminal investigation is ramping up

The Justice Department’s separate criminal investigation into plans to rig the 2020 election is also heating up. CNN previously reported that Hutchinson is cooperating with the Justice Department’s criminal investigation, a source with knowledge of the discussions confirmed to CNN. The extent of this cooperation is not clear. Hutchinson was a star of the committee. The Justice Department also obtained a second warrant to search the cell phone of right-wing attorney John Eastman as part of its criminal investigation, prosecutors said in a court filing Wednesday.
Investigators seized Eastman’s phone earlier this month in New Mexico after obtaining a warrant to take the device. Agents needed a second warrant to search the phone’s contents, which they obtained on July 12.
The warrant is a critical step in the Justice Department’s January 6 intensification of its investigation, where investigators have seemingly zeroed in on the conduct of Trump and his close allies to sway the 2020 election.
Eastman was a key player in the commission’s investigation into the scheme to overturn the election results. A federal judge previously said Eastman and Trump “more likely than not” planned a crime as they tried to disrupt congressional certification of the Jan. 6 presidential election. This story has been updated with additional details. CNN’s Devan Cole contributed to this report.