Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, one of the most conservative Republicans in Congress, said his party will in the future use the same investigative and subpoena powers that Democrats are using for the Jan. 6 committee, but will do so with fairness and transparency.
Biggs, the chairman of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, said holding Democrats who have “engaged in inappropriate conduct” accountable through investigations and subpoenas will be a top priority for Republicans if they take back the House in 2022.
One of former President Donald Trump’s strongest allies, Biggs said that the GOP would use due process in getting back at Democrats who are treating Republicans unfairly in the investigation of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“I think we would follow the law and be very transparent. We’d give them, the respective individuals, an opportunity to turn over records, those types of things,” Biggs told the Washington Examiner.
“I’m a big believer in fairness and due process. That’s not what we’re seeing from the other side,” Biggs said.
REPUBLICANS TARGETED BY JAN. 6 COMMITTEE WARN OF ANOTHER ‘WITCH HUNT’
House Republicans Wednesday requested that telecom and tech companies preserve phone records and data of top Democrats in retaliation for the Jan. 6 investigative committee doing the same for Republicans.
The Democrat-led Jan. 6 committee asked telecom companies to preserve records from several Republican lawmakers, as well as members of the Trump family, involved in the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington ahead of the Capitol riots.
Democrats say their investigation of the attack on the Capitol and the attempt to overturn the results of last year’s election is fair and that part of the investigation includes asking companies not to destroy records that may help get clarity on what caused the attack.
“The committee’s efforts won’t be deterred by those who want to whitewash or cover up the events of January 6th, or obstruct our investigation,” the committee tweeted.
Republicans such as Biggs, Matt Gaetz of Florida, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia are among those whom Democrats have targeted in their investigation and records request.
Biggs said that he and other Republicans have not received any notification that they are part of the Jan. 6 investigation. Instead, he said, Democrats “leaked” the list of Republicans being targeted to the media without notifying them directly.
“That’s just being a jerk. We’re not going to do that when we’re in power,” Biggs said.
Biggs said that preserving and obtaining fellow representatives’ private phone records and other relevant information within an investigation was not right, and although he recognized the hypocrisy in attempting to do so himself, he said he was “tired of trying to do what’s right and following the rules while the other side doesn’t.”
He also said he hoped that Republican attempts to get information and records on Democrats would make telecom and tech companies realize that they shouldn’t work with either party when it comes to politically charged investigations unless forced to.
“We don’t think you should hold and preserve anybody’s records. We don’t consent to that,” Biggs said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“But if you’re going to do that for the Jan. 6 investigation then we have a list of Democrats who we think engaged in inappropriate conduct or misconduct, allegedly, that we want to get to the bottom of when we’ve taken power and control” he added.
