The House committee investigating the Capitol riot is continuing its investigation, whether or not House GOP leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) approves of the probe’s direction. After news emerged of the investigatory committee’s intention to ask telecommunications companies to preserve the records of certain individuals — including certain members of Congress and former President Donald Trump himself, McCarthy released a public statement in which he claimed that companies who submit information along these lines to the committee would be violating federal law, although he failed to identify a single, specific federal law that would be violated. The committee shredded McCarthy’s argument in its own public statement.
Via Twitter, the committee released a statement reading as follows:
‘The Select Committee is investigating the violent attack on the Capitol and attempt to overturn the results of last year’s election. We’ve asked companies not to destroy records that may help answer questions for the American people. The committee’s efforts won’t be deterred by those who want to whitewash or cover up the events of January 6th, or obstruct our investigation.’
The committee’s efforts won’t be deterred by those who want to whitewash or cover up the events of January 6th, or obstruct our investigation. 2/2 https://t.co/lvPcUMrqYZ
— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) September 1, 2021
McCarthy claimed in his original statement that “every American with a phone or computer” would be left “in the crosshairs of a surveillance state run by Democrat politicians” if the committee’s records-related requests are carried out. His assessment of the situation is simply not accurate, however — the committee isn’t after records of “every American.” They’re only after the records of those with some sort of connections to the riot, and CNN reported in recent days that the initial list of names targeted by the panel doesn’t even include McCarthy, no matter the fact that he spoke with Trump on the day of the violence. McCarthy could be a future target of the committee’s investigation because of that conversation, so rather than some kind of bold altruism underlying the GOP leader’s statement regarding the committee, it could be just self-interest.
Besides the records from telecommunications companies, the riot investigation committee has also requested a slew of materials from an array of government agencies covering critical points of the Trump era. Targeted agencies range from the Defense Department to the National Archives and beyond, with the committee after records like anything covering the potential imposition of martial law, which was proposed within Trump’s circles amid his desperate attempts to remain president.
