House committee investigation U.S. Capitol January Uprising Require federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies to provide extensive records to show lawmakers’ full review of deadly attacks by mobs Donald Trump supporter.
Wednesday’s request sought information about the events that led to the January 6 riots, including communications between then-President Trump and other agencies within the White House, as well as information about plans and funding for the rally in Washington. Among them was an event held at Ellipse near the White House, which included Trump’s speech, in which he encouraged thousands of people before supporters stormed into the Capitol.
The required documents are just a testament to how thugs can infiltrate the Capitol and undermine the victory of Democratic President Joe Biden, the beginning of a lengthy, partisan and hostile investigation that caused the worst attack on Congress in two centuries.
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In a statement on Wednesday night, Trump accused the committee of violating “the long-standing legal principle of privilege.”
“Executive privileges will be defended, not only on behalf of my government and the patriots working by my side, but also on behalf of the office of the President of the United States and the future of our country,” Trump said.
Committee members are also considering asking telecommunications companies to keep phone records of several people, including members of Congress, to determine who knows what is happening and when they know. The rioters chanted “Hang Mike Pence”, allowing the then vice president and members of Congress to escape, causing more than $1 million in damage and wounding dozens of police officers.
The record request is usually the starting point of the investigation, and the committee is expected to conduct an extensive review as it will establish a public record detailing the confusion on January 6. The investigation may take more than a year until the end of the investigation in Congress.
The National Archives is being asked to provide White House records, as well as materials from the Department of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security, and Interior, as well as the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The committee is also seeking information about the Trump administration’s internal efforts to promote the president’s unfounded claims about election fraud and any attempts to overturn the November election results or “impede the peaceful transfer of power”.
The request of the National Archives and Records Administration was 10 pages long. The committee is seeking “all documents and communications in the White House on January 6, 2021,” which are related to Trump’s close advisers and family members, the Oval Rally, and Trump’s Twitter feed. It asked about his specific actions that day and the correspondence in the White House Situation Room (if any). All documents related to the allegations of election fraud are also requested, as well as the Supreme Court’s decision on the subject.
The Democratic Rep. Benny Thompson appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the head of the committee. After all, only two Republicans oppose the formation of a 13-member group.
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So far, the committee has heard the opinion of the police at the Capitol on January 6. In emotional testimony, these police officers talked about how scared and frustrated they were at law enforcement leaders’ failure to foresee the possibility of violence and the failure to understand the scope of Trump’s supporters’ plans. A congressional policeman who shot the protester Ashli Babbitt was cleared of crimes a few months ago and was cleared from within the department this week, and is scheduled to be broadcast on Thursday in an NBC interview Reveal his identity.
The majority of the Republican Party believes that the majority Democratic committee will conduct a party investigation. House Democrats initially tried to establish an evenly distributed independent committee to investigate the rebellion, but this effort failed due to obstruction by Senate Republicans.
Thompson did not determine which legislators the committee will seek, but he said officials will contact communications companies, social media platforms and other technology giants.
Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of the California House of Representatives contacted Trump at the besieged Capitol on January 6. He again dismissed the committee’s investigation, calling it “so politicized.”
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When asked if he would hand over his phone records from January 6, he said on Wednesday, “I told the American public who I spoke to that day,” referring to his TV news appearance that day.
On the Fox News program on Tuesday night, Republican Rep. Jim Banks may also request his phone records. He said that investigating lawmakers was an “abuse of power.”
Thompson said in a written statement that the committee’s work is rooted in non-political fact investigations.
“Our Constitution provides for the peaceful transfer of power. This investigation aims to assess the threats to the process, determine the lessons learned, and propose laws, policies, procedures, rules or regulations needed to protect our Republic in the future,” he said .
Associated Press Congress reporter Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
© 2021 Canadian Press
