WASHINGTON, USA – Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), announced Thursday that the Select Committee has subpoenaed Representatives Kevin McCarthy, Scott Perry, Jim Jordan, Andy Biggs, and Mo Brooks for deposition testimony as part of the committee’s investigation into the January 6th attack on the US Capitol and its causes.
The Select Committee is subpoenaing five members who have previously been invited to appear voluntarily before the committee because the committee has reason to believe that they have relevant knowledge of the events on or leading up to January 6th and activities related to the transfer of power.
Chairman Thompson released the following statement:
“The Select Committee has learned that several of our colleagues have information relevant to our investigation into the attack on January 6th and the events leading up to it. Before we hold our hearings next month, we wished to provide members the opportunity to discuss these matters with the committee voluntarily. Regrettably, the individuals receiving subpoenas today have refused and we’re forced to take this step to help ensure the committee uncovers facts concerning January 6th. We urge our colleagues to comply with the law, do their patriotic duty, and cooperate with our investigation as hundreds of other witnesses have done.”
Over the past several months, the Select Committee sent letters to these five Members of Congress seeking voluntary cooperation with the investigation into the violent attack on the Capitol on January 6th. These members include those who participated in meetings at the White House, those who had direct conversations with president Trump leading up to and during the attack on the Capitol, and those who were involved in the planning and coordination of certain activities on and before January 6th. (Click to view previous letters to Rep. McCarthy, Rep. Perry, Rep. Jordan, Rep. Biggs, and Rep. Brooks.)
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was in communication with President Trump before, during, and after the attack on January 6th. McCarthy was also in communication with other members of the White House staff during the attack and in the days before and after January 6th concerning the events at the Capitol. McCarthy also claimed to have had a discussion with the President in the immediate aftermath of the attack during which President Trump admitted some culpability for the attack.
Representative Scott Perry was directly involved with efforts to corrupt the Department of Justice and install Jeffrey Clark as acting Attorney General. In addition, Perry had various communications with the White House about a number of matters relevant to the Select Committee’s investigation, including allegations that Dominion voting machines had been corrupted.
Representative Jim Jordan was in communication with president Trump on January 6th and participated in meetings and discussions throughout late 2020 and early 2021 about strategies for overturning the 2020 election.
Representative Andy Biggs participated in meetings to plan various aspects of January 6th and was involved with plans to bring protestors to Washington for the counting of Electoral College votes. Biggs was involved in efforts to persuade state officials that 2020 was stolen. Additionally, former White House personnel identified Biggs as potentially being involved in an effort to seek a presidential pardon for activities connected with the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Representative Mo Brooks spoke at the rally on January 6th, encouraging rioters to “start taking down names and kicking ass.” In addition, Brooks has publicly described conversations in which the former president urged him to work to “rescind the election of 2020” and reinstall Trump as president. The Select Committee also has evidence that Brooks’s staff met with members of Vice president Pence’s staff before January 6th and conveyed the view that the vice president does not have authority to unilaterally refuse to count certified electoral votes.
While Members of Congress typically testify voluntarily before committees when asked, in recent years the House Ethics Committee has issued a number of subpoenas to Members of Congress for testimony or documents. Historically, members have also been subpoenaed to provide information in other House investigations.
The letters to the Members of Congress can be found here:
