The federal prosecutor who led the Justice Department’s investigation into the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol and a prominent attorney known for defending social media giants Twitter, Google and Meta recently clashed in a court hearing in Washington that remains classified, according to the report.
Files from the Washington District Court of Appeals show that Ari Holtzblatt, a lawyer with the powerful WilmerHale, argued last week with attorney James Pearce of the Department of Justice.
Politico noted that Holtzblatt had represented Twitter in recent months in a case before the Supreme Court that ended in a victory for the social media platform last week.
Supreme Court on Thursday on the side of Google, Twitter and Facebook in lawsuits to hold them accountable for terrorist attacks because of content posted on their platforms.
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Scene from the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, file)
Meanwhile, Pearce is one of the federal prosecutors working with Special Counsel Jack Smith, who was assigned by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute federal crimes related to the January 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol grounds, as well as classified documents found at former President Trump’s residence in Mar-a-Lago.
Politico reported that one of its reporters witnessed Holtzblatt in DC federal court along with other lawyers from WilmerHale on Friday morning.
Aaron Zebley, former top deputy special attorney Robert Mueller, who in 2017 was tasked with investigating Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election, and George Varghese, a former federal prosecutor, were in the group, according to outlet information. Varghese’s biography on the WilmerHale website says he joined the firm in 2019 after 14 years as a federal prosecutor in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. For the past seven years, he has served in the Healthcare Fraud and National Security Units for the District of Massachusetts.
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on November 18, 2022, that he will appoint a Special Counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s investigation into former President Donald Trump regarding the January 6 and classified documents. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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The nature of the proceedings between Holtzblatt and Pearce is not clear, but court records suggest the dispute has been going on for months.
Meanwhile, Smith pushed through a series of legal battles to secure testimony in connection with his January 6 probe. A special adviser in former President Donald Trump’s inner circle has won battles to get Mike Pence, Mark Meadows’ former chief of staff, and Trump’s social media manager Dan Scavino to testify.
Former President Donald Trump leaves after giving a speech at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, April 4, 2023. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Appellate court records show Cornelia Pillard, appointed by former President Barack Obama, along with Michelle Childs and Florence Pan – both appointed by Biden – as judges who heard an oral argument between Holtzblatt and Pearce on Friday. According to Politico, the litigation was initiated on January 5 before U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell, who at the time was the chief district judge responsible for overseeing all Smith grand jury cases.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.