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A House Republican barred from joining the select Jan. 6 committee shared some of his findings ahead of the panel’s first prime-time hearing Thursday.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) made an appearance on Fox News in which he faulted a “systemic breakdown of security and leadership” in Capitol security on Jan. 6 and accused the House committee of making its priority working to “prevent Donald Trump’s name from ever being on the ballot again,” including chatter about abolishing the Electoral College.
TRUMP ALLIES LAUNCH COUNTERMESSAGING EFFORTS AHEAD OF JAN. 6 HEARINGS
The congressman said he and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, another Republican blocked from participating on the Jan. 6 committee by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), interviewed dozens of Capitol law enforcement officials and others tied to Capitol security for their own more secretive counterinvestigation.
During that effort, Banks said they found “serious issues” related to security as well as intelligence gathering and dissemination.
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The head of the U.S. Capitol Police union told the GOP investigators the force was not prepared for that day, Banks said.
“They had faulty or outdated equipment. Some of them didn’t even have riot shields or helmets on. The rioters had better equipment than they did,” Banks said.
The Jan. 6 committee, which has two Republican members, Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who are Trump critics, is set to hold its first prime-time summer hearing at 8 p.m.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Members of the Jan. 6 panel have signaled they intend to draw a line connecting former President Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election to the Capitol riot. The violence briefly disrupted the process of lawmakers certifying President Joe Biden’s victory.
Of the security blunders he listed, Banks said, “You haven’t heard about these serious issues raised at all by this sham Jan. 6 committee.”
Trump has castigated the inquiry as a political witch hunt, and his allies are ready to argue he had instructed his supporters to march “peacefully” to the Capitol on Jan. 6, having also raised questions about whether Democratic leadership did enough to prepare security for that day.
