Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) is demanding that Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP allies face criminal prosecution if they defy subpoenas from the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
The Manhattan liberal insisted on Friday that Congress has a duty to force McCarthy and other lawmakers to reveal what they know about the failed insurrection attempt by thousands of extremist supporters of former President Trump.
“I mean, we’re investigating an insurrection against the United States government, and an insurrection is treason,” Nadler said.
Nadler conceded the subpoenas are unprecedented but the bipartisan panel had no choice given the nature of the violent attack, which was designed to prevent Congress from confirming President Biden’s election victory.
“We’ve never had a situation where members of Congress participated or suspected of participating in insurrection,” Nadler said.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman of the committee said he “would hope that Republicans honor that oath that they take.”
“The notion that somehow a subpoena is not to be honored sets a bad standard for members of Congress,” Thompson said.
The committee is demanding testimony and documents from McCarthy along with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Alabama), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.)
All five lawmakers have refused to testify voluntarily even though Trump’s own family members, including son Donald Trump Jr., daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, willingly answered the panel’s questions.
McCarthy, who hopes to become Speaker of the House if Republicans win control of the House in the midterm elections, admitted speaking to Trump on the day of the riot.
The GOP Minority Leader reportedly told colleagues that Trump lambasted him for not fighting hard enough to overturn the election that the former president lost.
He has repeatedly said he has nothing to hide but refuses to testify under oath.
Jordan also spoke to Trump on the day of the riot but claims he doesn’t remember what they said or even whether the conversation took place before, during, or after the attack.
Brooks could be the most likely of the group to obey the subpoena and testify. He recently had a falling out with Trump when the ex-president rescinded an endorsement of him in a crowded Alabama Senate primary.
Hundreds of former White House and congressional aides have cooperated with the probe by the committee, which includes fiercely anti-Trump Republican Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.)
