Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-Georgia), Chairman of the House Administration Oversight Subcommittee, has voiced his intention to potentially refer individuals for criminal obstruction or House ethics violations in relation to the January 6 Select Committee.
Loudermilk’s frustration is palpable as he discusses the suppression of key evidence gathered by the committee, including video footage and interview transcripts. He reveals that some documents and interviews have been relocated to other federal agencies, while others have been outright deleted or destroyed. Adding insult to injury, some evidence is locked behind passwords that have not been shared with the oversight subcommittee for their investigation.
In an interview on the Just the News, No Noise show, Loudermilk asserts his belief that those who acted improperly on the January 6 committee should be held accountable. However, he acknowledges that this may take time due to the need for further information gathering and case building.
Loudermilk also criticizes Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi), accusing him of ceding too much control to former representative Liz Cheney, who was the Republican vice chairwoman of the committee. He alleges that Thompson failed to provide passwords for accessing encrypted documents.
Once Loudermilk has reviewed all available evidence and identified those responsible for these actions, he plans to seek accountability through various means such as congressional censure, referral to the House ethics committee or a criminal referral to the Department of Justice for obstruction. However, he acknowledges that some of those involved are no longer in Congress, necessitating a different approach.
Report Reveals Suppression of Evidence Exonerating Trump
Loudermilk’s interview came just two days after his panel released an interim report revealing that the committee withheld key evidence contradicting several claims made by Democrats in their final inquiry report. The report concluded that the events of January 6 were preventable and criticized the politicization of Capitol security.
The report also detailed how the January 6 committee hired Hollywood producers to edit footage for their prime-time hearings and explained how the committee was improperly constructed.
Loudermilk accuses the January 6 committee of promoting a political narrative, stating: “For nearly two years, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s January 6th Select Committee promoted hearsay and cherry-picked information to promote its political goal – to legislatively prosecute former President Donald Trump.”