Liz Cheney & Crew Implicate Paul Gosar In Jan 6 Communications

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Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) was in communication via text with leaders in the “Stop the Steal” movement during last year’s Trump-incited Capitol riot, the House committee investigating January 6 revealed.

The revelation was included in a transcript of an interview the committee did with Alexander Bruesewitz, a right-wing activist who helped found a conservative political consulting firm known as X Strategies. Gosar told a group chat involved with the “Stop the Steal” movement that his Congressional office remained on lockdown shortly after 5 p.m. on the day of the riot, suggesting he was updating those involved about what was happening. Bruesewitz pleaded the Fifth Amendment, which provides protections against self-incrimination, in response to questions including whether he was in touch with Gosar “throughout” January 6 and why the Congressman felt the need to inform group chat participants of the lockdown. Were they coordinating? Even if they had no strategic connections to individuals actually participating in the riot, details Gosar shared suggest there was active coordination about something else.

Although Bruesewitz, who was involved in developing opposition to the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory in Congress, declined to answer most of the questions asked during his deposition, the questions themselves reveal details — like that Gosar was apparently a member of and at least somewhat active in a group chat on Twitter including leaders of the “Stop the Steal” push. Early on January 6, Bruesewitz asked Gosar if he coordinated with who were apparently other Congresspeople supporting Trump in preparation for opposing the certification of Biden’s win in Congress later that day, and Gosar replied in generally affirmative terms. It appears Gosar later provided his updates about security measures at the Capitol to the same chat.

Bruesewitz was on what was identified as a VIP list for the outdoor rally in D.C. where Trump spoke shortly before the Capitol breach. He also posted on Twitter that day he would be heading to the Capitol, but it’s unclear he ever did so. That was hours before Gosar’s security update and before demonstrators breached the building. Bruesewitz also faced questions during his deposition about potential coordination with members of the far-right groups the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys about security in the lead-up to the Capitol riot, although he declined to provide investigators a substantive answer about that topic as well. Now, the committee has released its final report in full, which covers the better part of 900 pages and includes greater detail from hundreds of interviews.