Conversely, some officials within the White House are backing GOP Representative Barry Loudermilk’s call for a broader mandate, as he has been designated to lead the investigation. CNN has previously reported that former President Donald Trump expressed to Johnson prior to his inauguration that he wanted this investigation to be prioritized.
The sources further noted that Loudermilk’s newly formed select subcommittee, which Johnson announced in January, has yet to commence its work, largely due to the ongoing internal disagreements that have hindered negotiations.
In a statement to CNN on Thursday, Loudermilk remarked, “I informed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy that I would take on this challenge under two conditions: I would require the autonomy and resources necessary to pursue the facts without political bias or external influence, and I would need the authority to report our findings to the American public.” McCarthy had requested that I lead the House Republicans’ investigation into the security failures of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, as well as the work of Pelosi’s Select Committee. I believe this investigation remains essential for uncovering the truth.
Loudermilk has emphasized the findings of the previous January 6 committee and its conclusions during the last Congress. The House GOP report ultimately recommended that the FBI investigate Cheney’s role in the Capitol attack inquiry. Additionally, the sources indicated that a narrowed focus for the investigation would hinder its ability to assess security preparedness prior to the attack and to evaluate future security protocols for the US Capitol.
Last month, Loudermilk revealed that Speaker Johnson assured him that his inquiry into the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol would be “formalized as a new committee.” This initiative is part of a broader strategy by Republicans to continue several investigations initiated during the last Congress, now that they hold the majority in both chambers and the presidency.
Loudermilk indicated that the specifics of the new committee are still under development, with one possibility being that Johnson would have increased influence over the selection of committee members (referred to as a “select committee”) and its operational procedures. Establishing this new committee to emphasize Loudermilk’s efforts, which included a report recommending that former GOP Representative Liz Cheney face charges from the FBI, keeps the Republican agenda focused on preventing accountability for President Donald Trump regarding the events of January 6.
“It was so singularly focused that basically Trump created this entire problem,” Loudermilk commented on the previous January 6 select committee led by Adam Schiff and Liz Cheney. “In reality, it was a multitude of failures at different levels.” Johnson has publicly affirmed that the new investigation into January 6 will be “fully funded.”
According to CNN, “Continuing its investigation into the previous January 6 select committee – which included Cheney as vice chair and another Republican member – and the broader security response to the Capitol attack is not the only strategy Republicans intend to employ with their new majority to carry forward politically charged investigations.”
Additionally, “Republicans re-issued subpoenas related to special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into President Joe Biden’s management of classified documents and two Justice Department tax investigators involved in the Hunter Biden case on Monday, as reported by two sources familiar with the situation. These subpoenas would revive efforts from the previous Congress that have faced legal challenges and remain unresolved for months,” the outlet noted.
California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff is contemplating the possibility of declining a pardon granted by former President Joe Biden to all individuals involved in the Congressional investigation of the January 6 insurrection, which includes Schiff himself.
In an interview on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Schiff discussed the potential repercussions of accepting a pardon, noting that he has spent years asserting—during President Donald Trump’s first term—that accepting such a pardon would be tantamount to an “admission of guilt.”
In a series of last-minute pardons designed to protect allies from possible retaliation by President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden extended clemency to a select group of individuals. However, this decision presents challenges for those receiving the pardons.
Among the limited recipients were former Wyoming Republican Congresswoman and January 6 Committee co-chair Liz Cheney, as well as Dr. Anthony Fauci. Biden’s aides indicated that this action was meant to preempt any acts of retribution from Trump or his forthcoming administration.
Nevertheless, legal experts quickly highlighted that these pardons would not shield either individual from the obligation to testify under oath if they were to be subpoenaed.
