WASHINGTON – Four Republicans in the House, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a minority leader, said Thursday they would not cooperate with citations from the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which is a dilemma for the panel. which could have major implications for the Capitol. consultation and for the Congress itself.
Representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Andy Biggs of Arizona sent letters to the committee opposing the investigation ahead of the statements scheduled for this week, and Mr. McCarthy, of California, filed a court brief arguing the panel’s citations. they are illegitimate.
“For Republican House leaders to agree to participate in this political ploy would change the House forever,” McCarthy and Jordan wrote in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal. In a statement, Mr. Perry called the Democratic-led committee a “kangaroo court” and accused the panel of “perpetuating political theater, slandering and destroying political opponents.”
Republican resistance could hamper the committee’s investigation, leaving unanswered questions about the deadly mafia attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, which left more than 150 police officers injured. It will also likely force the panel to decide whether to prosecute charges of criminal contempt in Congress against men, which could lead to a legal confrontation the outcome of which could set a precedent for future congressional investigations.
Mr. Perry, Mr. Biggs and Mr. Jordan were summoned to testify this week, with Mr. McCarthy and Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama scheduled for next week.
CNN previously reported that Mr. Perry and Mr. Biggs had sent letters to the committee opposing the subpoenas. Mr. Brooks did not respond to a request for comment.
Men have used slightly different tactics to resist citations. Although Mr. Perry declined to appear – his lawyer flatly stated that the congressman “declines to run for deposition on May 26 and asks you to withdraw the summons” – Mr. Jordan issued a long list of lawsuits that the panel probably did not accept. .
Mr. Jordan, who is in line to become chairman of the Judiciary Committee in case his party takes control of Congress after the November legislatures, demanded that “all documents, videos or other materials held by the select committee “are used in your interrogation and any material. the panel has its name on it.
“Your attempt to force testimony on a colleague’s deliberations related to a legally prescribed legislative issue and an important constitutional function is a dangerous escalation of the persecution of political vendettas by House Democrats,” Mr. . Jordan to Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi Democrat and President. of the committee.
A spokesman for the commission declined to comment.
The resistance of the men came when 22 former Republican members of the House urged them to cooperate with the panel.
“We understand that you may have concerns about this exercise of the committee’s subpoena power,” the former members wrote in their letter, published in Medium. “In fact, in most circumstances, we would strongly advise against forcing the testimony of members of Congress. But the exceptional nature of this circumstance is clear: that in which seated members may have first-hand knowledge of an assault on our “The best way to ensure a complete and fair account of what happened before and on January 6 is to provide your understanding of the events and to explain it to the American people.”
The committee issued the citations this month when it delved into the role Republicans played in trying to revoke the 2020 election.
Mr. Perry, who coordinated a plan to try to replace the incumbent Attorney General after he resisted the false claims of Mr. Trump of widespread voting fraud, argued in a letter to the committee that there was “nothing improper” in his actions.
“The committee has no authority to issue the summons, and we respectfully request that it be withdrawn immediately,” wrote his attorney, John P. Rowley III.
At least one witness told the panel that Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, burned documents in his office’s fireplace after a meeting with Mr. Perry, a person familiar with Thursday said. the activity of the committee. The information was first reported by Politico. The Times reported Wednesday that the committee had information that Mr. Meadows had used his fireplace to dispose of documents.
Mr. McCarthy, along with Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 Republican in the House, presented a letter in support of Stephen K. Bannon, a Trump ally who has been accused of contempt of Congress after failing to comply with a subpoena. of the commission.
In writing, Mr. McCarthy argued that the committee’s citations were illegitimate because, they said, the panel did not follow House rules regarding the number of committee members and the role of Republicans on the panel. Several judges have already rejected this argument in other cases.
Mr. Bannon is trying to dismiss the charges of contempt, and Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Scalise sided with him, arguing that the January 6 committee chase by Mr. Bannon could cause “potential damage” to the institution of the House.
The panel’s move to force Republican co-operation was widely regarded as unprecedented in the modern history of Congressional investigations. In the House, citations are almost never issued outside the Ethics Committee, which is responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct by members.
Before sending their letters, Republicans under summons discussed in private the best way to respond, according to people familiar with their thinking who described it on condition of anonymity. Some argued that challenging the committee had a clear political benefit, because former President Donald J. Trump’s base would almost certainly look favorably on the move, but some are also concerned about weakening the authority of their own citations if the his party takes over Congress.
Mr. Thompson has said that if men fail to comply, another option beyond a charge of contempt could be a referral to the Ethics Committee.
Maggie Haberman contributed to the report.