A congressional committee is seeking information from a House Republican about the tour of the complex he led, the panel claims, the day before the attack.
The latest effort by House investigators in obtaining cooperation from GOP lawmakers is Thursday’s letter to Barry Loudermilk, Georgia Rep.
“Based upon our review of evidence in possession of the Select Committee, we believe that you have information concerning a tour you took through parts of Capitol Complex on January 5, 2021,” said Reps. Bennie Thompson (Mississippi) and Liz Cheney (Wyoming), the chairman and vice chairwoman of the committee.
They wrote that “Public reporting and witness accounts indicated some individuals and groups engaged with efforts to gather information regarding the layout of U.S. Capitol as well as the House, Senate and office buildings” prior to the insurrection.
This voluntary request comes at a time when the panel has already conducted over 1,000 interviews on the insurrection, and as it prepares to hold a series hearings in June. Since the attacks, questions regarding tours of Capitol have been lingering. Democrats suggested that some Republicans may have assisted the rioters. There has not been any evidence to support this suggestion.
Loudermilk was informed in a letter that Republicans from a different panel, the House Administration Committee had previously stated that they had reviewed security footage beginning Jan. 5. They said there were no tours, no large groups, and no MAGA-hat wearing members. Loudermilk is part of that panel.
Thompson and Cheney wrote that the Jan. 6 evidence review “directly contradicts this denial”.
Three dozen Democrats wrote to the committee days before the attack to express their concern about alleged sightings in the days preceding the attack of “unusually large” groups headed by Republican legislators or staff.
Loudermilk stated Thursday that the Jan. 5 tour was done with a constituent family. It took place in the House offices and not the Capitol Building.
Loudermilk and Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), the ranking member of House administration committee wrote a joint response.
The Capitol complex includes 20 buildings, facilities, and offices. Underground tunnels link most of the buildings to Capitol.
This request comes one week after the panel issued subpoenas for five Republican members, including Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader.
McCarthy, R-Calif. and Reps. Jim Jordan, Scott Perry, Alabama, Andy Biggs, Arizona, and Mo Brooks of Alabama were subpoenaed by the panel. This was a dramatic display of force. The panel has already interviewed almost 1,000 witnesses and collected over 100,000 documents in its investigation into the Capitol’s worst attack in two centuries.
