The House panel investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection last January demanded an interview and documents from Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, as it continues to pursue first-hand details from Congress members on former President Donald Trump’s actions the day hundreds of his proponents beat police, stormed the Capitol and hindered the certification of the 2020 election. McCarthy has issued a statement refusing to cooperate with an ‘illegitimate investigation.’
Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, Democratic chairman of the panel, asked that McCarthy provide information on the nine-member panel concerning his discussions with Trump ‘before, during, and after the riot. The request also seeks information about McCarthy’s communications with former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows about Jan. 6 – including any objections or possible collusion between them ahead of time.
It is still unclear whether the panel will acquire testimony from McCarthy or any other congressional supporters of Trump without his cooperation. While the committee has evaluated subpoenaing fellow legislators, that would be an extraordinary move and could run up against legal and political challenges. Lawmakers seek a window into Trump’s state of mind from an ally who has admitted repeated interactions with the former president. The committee also wants to challenge McCarthy about communications with Trump and his staff in the week after the violence, including a discussion with Trump that was reportedly heated.
The committee acknowledged the sensitive and unusual nature of the request. It proposed a meeting with McCarthy on Feb. 3 or 4th to discuss his communications with Trump.
According to Herrera Beutler, McCarthy told her that Trump asked him to call off the riot publicly and said the violent mob was made up of Trump supporters, not far-left Antifa members.
Democrats read a statement from Herrera Beutler into the record as the Senate acquitted Trump. McCarthy had initially condemned Trump’s actions after the 2020 election, saying he bears responsibility for the deadly attack, which remains the most brutal domestic assault on Capitol Hill in its history.
After the GOP leader cautioned the party against Trump’s lies, McCarthy groomed a new acolyte, Rep. Elise Stefanik, as her replacement. This is the third time in recent weeks that McCarthy has called out to a member of Congress for voluntary information; GOP Reps. Jim Jordan and Scott Perry were also contacted but declined requests to sit down with lawmakers or provide records.
The bipartisan committee, which has interviewed almost 350 people and issued public subpoenas to approximately 50 people and institutions as it seeks to create a complete record of the Jan. 6 attack and the events leading up to it, spoke with former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday via virtual interview.
The committee says the tremendous trove of material it has collected is fleshing out critical details of the president’s worst attack on the Capitol in two centuries. In an interview last month, Thompson told The Associated Press that about 90% of subpoenaed witnesses have cooperated despite the defiance of high-profile Trump supporters like Meadows and Bannon. Lawmakers said they have been persuasive at gathering information from other sources partly because they share a unity of purpose seldom seen in a congressional probe.
