OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A top Republican on the House committee that oversees U.S. Capitol security is accusing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of a “cover-up.”
During an interview on John Solomon Reports podcast, Illinois GOP Rep. Rodney Davis said Pelosi is refusing to release key evidence showing the security planning prior to the Jan. 6 riots.
“We know there were intelligence analysis failures at the Capitol Police,” Davis said. “Our job is to protect the Capitol, and they’re making the same bad decisions.”
Capitol Police have made several changes and reforms to the incident at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but some lawmakers are worried that not enough changes have been made.
Davis accused Pelosi of blocking the release of information — including contemporaneous communications — showing what the Capitol Police and the House Sergeant at Arms discussed as security needs before a planned Jan. 6, 2021, protest by pro-Trump supporters that eventually spiraled out of control.
“They will not comply and give that info to us,” Davis told Just the News.
“At a time when the Speaker through this sham Select Committee is asking and getting voluntarily thousands of communications from people who are no longer employed by the government, she is denying that committee of jurisdiction access to government communications. What is she hiding?” he asked.
“All we ever asked for is we want communications leading up to and on Jan. 6, we want to be preserved, we want to be turned over to us, because my job, my job is to make sure that the Capitol is secure. And it’s laughable to think that that’s not germane to making sure that we don’t make those same mistakes again,” he said.
“I fully expect to be chairman when we take the majority. And I guarantee you, we will get these communications,” he said. “But by then, it’s two years past the time when the American people should have seen what did, or in many cases, did not happen to prepare our cops and our security apparatus prior to January 6.”
The Illinois Republican has sent a formal request for the withheld memos surrounding the security lapses before and during the Jan. 6 incident.
They include:
- Why was then-Chief Sund’s Jan. 4 request for National Guard support denied?
- Did then-Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving get permission or instruction from Pelosi’s office on Jan. 4, 2021, prior to denying Chief Sund’s request for the National Guard?
- What conversations did the Speaker’s office have with and what guidance did it provide to the Sergeant at
- Arms leading up to Jan. 6 specific to the security posture of the Capitol?
- What conversations did Pelosi’s office have during the attack on the Capitol, and what response did you give security officials on January 6 when Chief Sund requested National Guard support that required your approval?
- Why are House Officers refusing to comply with preservation and production requests to turn over requested materials relevant to the events of Jan. 6?
Last week, New York GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik is torching House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the one-year anniversary of the incident at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
In a scathing press release, Stefanik said that Pelosi shared blame for the riot that occurred on January 6, 2021.
Stefanik, who serves as House GOP Conference chair, thanked law enforcement for their work to control the chaos last year. She also condemned Pelosi for ultimately being the one “responsible” for leaving the Capitol prone to attack.
