When the Jan. 6th House select committee announced they would hold public hearings in June, they stated the public would hear from people “we’ve not heard from before.” Today, they sent letters asking House Republican Reps. Mo Brooks of Alabama, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Ronny Jackson of Texas to voluntarily appear, according to NPR. The panel has interviewed more than 930 individuals so far.
Why these three reps in particular? Former President Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’s text messages, which were turned over to the committee, have raised more questions.
- Rep. Andy Biggs’s (R-Ariz.) letter references his involvement in discussions to secure presidential pardons in connection with efforts to unwind the 2020 election and how Biggs is possibly tied to planning for the Jan. 6 rally.
- Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Trump’s former White House doctor, points to exchanges between the far-right Oath Keepers militia group members, citing the need to protect the lawmaker. Rep. Jackson has rejected the House’s request to speak before the committee.
- Rep. Mo Brooks’s (R-Ala.) letter notes that former President Trump asked him to help keep him in office even after Jan. 6. Brooks’s recent statement claims Trump pressured him to overturn the presidential election, remove President Biden from office and force a special new election.
“The Select Committee has learned that several of our colleagues have information relevant to our investigation into the facts, circumstances, and causes of January 6th. As we work to provide answers to the American people about that day, we consider it a patriotic duty for all witnesses to cooperate,” Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said in a joint statement.
Previously, the committees asked House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry, and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan to speak, and all declined. While the House select committee has been wary of using subpoena powers on lawmakers, Thompson and other committee members have hinted that subpoenaing their colleagues may not be entirely off the table.