The Republican National Committee is suing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Jan. 6 committee’s members over the panel’s subpoena of information from the RNC database.
The committee subpoenaed Salesforce.com for the data it maintains for the RNC. Those digital communications enable political parties and other non-profit organizations to operate and interact with millions of online users.
“The RNC has sued to stop the January 6th Committee from unlawfully seizing confidential information about the internal activities of the Republican Party and millions of its supporters which is completely unrelated to the attack on the Capitol,” Justin Riemer, RNC chief counsel, said in a statement.
Additionally, Salesforce collects and maintains significant amounts of RNC data, including confidential and “sensitive information about private individuals with whom the organization has engaged, ultimately helping develop and execute political strategies,” the RNC said in a statement.
In the 29-page lawsuit that was filed this week, the RNC claims the committee’s subpoena asks for documents “that have no connection to the attack on January 6, 2021. Without any limitation to the events of January 6, the Salesforce Subpoena demands production of sensitive and proprietary data over more than a two-month period.”
The GOP says this would give the Democratic-dominated committee access to the RNC’s internal political strategies and to private, personal information on its supporters.
“Nancy Pelosi and the Committee have weaponized Congress’ investigatory powers by issuing this staggeringly broad subpoena which tramples on core First Amendment rights of the RNC and millions of Americans,” Mr. Riemer said.
The Select Committee responded to the RNC lawsuit by saying that the RNC’s email messaging influenced former President Trump’s supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol to stop the certification of President Biden’s victory in the Electoral College.
“The Select Committee is investigating a violent attack on the Capitol and an attempt to overturn the 2020 Election. Between Election Day 2020 and January 6, the RNC and the Trump campaign solicited donations by pushing false claims that the election was tainted by widespread fraud,” committee spokesman Tim Mulvey said in a statement.
“These emails encouraged supporters to put pressure on Congress to keep President Trump in power,” he said.
The RNC says that if Salesforce is forced to comply, it would have to disclose sensitive political records of supporters. These include whether and how individual RNC supporters have responded to emails (including when they opened such emails), reacted to specific political messaging, signed any RNC petitions, completed any surveys on specific issues and policy proposals, or responded to specific fundraising appeals.
“The subject matter of these materials represents the very heart of the organism which the first amendment was intended to nurture and protect: political expression and association concerning federal elections and officeholding,” the RNC states in its lawsuit.
Mr. Mulvey says the committee is looking into “the impact of false, inflammatory messages in the weeks before January 6, the flow of funds, and whether contributions were actually directed to the purpose indicated.”
He added that “this action has absolutely nothing to do with getting the private information of voters or donors.”
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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