The House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is leaving open the possibility of compelling testimony from sitting members of Congress as part of its probe.
In an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Illinois Republican and committee member, said “it’s possible” that some GOP members of Congress were responsible for the attack, but he wants to “let the facts dictate it.”
“Nobody — member of Congress, former president, nobody — in America is above the law,” Mr. Kinzinger said Sunday.
Last week, the House recommended contempt of Congress charges against former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows for not complying with committee subpoenas. Mr. Meadows had served as a Republican member of the House before joining the administration.
Leading up to the vote, Rep. Adam Schiff, California Democrat and committee member, revealed a text message from a Republican lawmaker (later revealed to be Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio) to Mr. Meadows proposing that Vice President Mike Pence refuse to certify the election results.
“On January 6, 2021, Vice-President Mike Pence, as president of the Senate, should call out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all,” the text read.
Mr. Schiff said the text demonstrates Mr. Jordan’s intent “to overturn a presidential election and subvert the will of the American people.”
The text was among nearly 9,000 documents Mr. Meadows turned over to the committee during a brief period of cooperation with the probe. Mr. Kinzinger said Sunday more texts were turned over that the committee has not released.
Mr. Kinzinger, who has announced he will not seek reelection, is one of just two Republican lawmakers on the Democrat-run committee. Rep. Liz Cheney, Wyoming Republican, serves as the committee’s vice chair.
The two lawmakers were among the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump.
In a speech on the House floor last week, Ms. Cheney said Mr. Meadows’ testimony would be important for determining whether Mr. Trump “through action or inaction” sought to “obstruct or impede Congress’ official proceedings to count electoral votes.”
On Sunday, Mr. Kinzinger alluded to the possibility that the committee could seek testimony from the former president.
“Nobody should be above the law, but we also recognize we can get the information without him at this point, and, obviously, when you subpoena the former president, that comes with a whole kind of, you know, circus environment,” Mr. Kinzinger said. “But if we need him, we’ll do it.”
He said the committee’s findings also could expose the former president to criminal proceedings.
“Whatever information we get will be public record, and the DOJ should take a look, particularly if there’s criminal charges to be filed, because again, the big thing is as bad as it was on Jan. 6, there’s really nothing in place to stop another one from happening again,” Mr. Kinzinger said. “If somebody broke the law, it is so essential that we send the message that you are not untouchable as president — you’re not untouchable as a former president.”
The committee has subpoenaed more than 50 witnesses since its formation over the summer. The lawmakers on the panel have cast a wide net in their quest to get to the bottom of the events leading up to the Capitol attack.
Some Republicans have argued that the probe is a ploy to score political points ahead of the midterm elections.
Last week, however, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, told Spectrum News that he looks forward to seeing the committee’s findings. Mr. McConnell previously has been critical of the committee, which is overwhelmingly controlled by Democrats.
“I think that what they’re seeking to find out is something that the public needs to know,” Mr. McConnell said.
Mr. Kinzinger said he appreciated Mr. McConnell’s remarks, which amounted to “a very powerful statement.”
He also contrasted Mr. McConnell’s remarks to the silence of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, on the matter.
“Kevin McCarthy, on the other hand, has not said a word about anything, except for that Donald Trump is probably the greatest president to ever exist,” Mr. Kinzinger said. “Kevin McCarthy himself, I think, made Donald Trump relevant again when two weeks after Jan. 6 or so, he went back down to Mar-a-Lago and brought him back to political life by putting his arm around him and taking that picture and basically sending the signal to the rest of the Republicans that were pretty quiet at this moment, that we got to get back on the Trump train.”
“He bears responsibility for that,” Mr. Kinzinger said. “I don’t think history books are going to be kind to him.”
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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