House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) on Thursday defended the police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt during the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/capitol-riot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6 Capitol riot</a>, saying that the officer was just doing his job. 
McCarthy’s comments came as he was asked to respond to statements from Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marjorie-taylor-greene" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a> (R-GA), who has said that Babbitt was murdered while inside the Capitol during the January 6 riot. 
“I think the police officer did his job,” McCarthy <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3841974-mccarthy-breaks-with-greene-on-death-of-ashli-babbitt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a briefing with reporters. 
The officer in question, Lt. Michael Byrd, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/capitol-police-arrest-ashli-babbitts-mother-on-two-year-anniversary-of-riot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot Babbitt</a> as she tried to make her way through a broken window of a barricaded door near the Speaker’s Lobby, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2021/01/08/ashli-babbitt-shooting-video-capitol/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as shown in video clips</a>. Babbitt, an Air Force veteran, was <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/officer-who-shot-ashli-babbitt-during-capitol-riot-breaks-silence-n1277736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unarmed</a>. 
The Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/department-justice-closes-investigation-death-ashli-babbitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refused to pursue criminal charges,</a> and the Capitol Police <a href="https://www.uscp.gov/media-center/press-releases/uscp-completes-internal-investigation-january-6-officer-involved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declined to take disciplinary action</a> in connection to the incident. &#8220;The investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber,” the DOJ <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/trump-ashli-babbitt-murdered-michael-byrd-kevin-mccarthy-jan6-1778751" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
Byrd said that his actions on January 6 saved “countless lives” and that he only fired his weapon as a “last resort.” 
McCarthy’s comments differ from Greene and some other Republicans who have demanded that Byrd face legal consequences. “There’s a woman in this room whose daughter was murdered on January 6, Ashli Babbitt. And Ashli Babbitt has, there’s never been a trial. As a matter of fact, no one has cared about the person that shot and killed her and no one in this Congress has really addressed that issue,” Greene said during a meeting of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Tuesday.
Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> also weighed in on the issue, saying on Truth Social that he disagreed with McCarthy. 
“I totally disagree with the Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, in that the Police Officer &#8216;Thug,&#8217; who has had a very checkered past to begin with, was not just &#8216;doing his job&#8217; when he shot and killed Great Patriot Ashli Babbitt at point blank range,” Trump said. 
“Despite trying to keep him anonymous, shielded, and protected, this MISFIT proudly showed up on NBC Fake Nightly News &#8216;bragging&#8217; about the killing. He was not a hero but a COWARD, who wanted to show how tough he was. ASHLI BABBITT WAS MURDERED!!!&#8221; he added. 
Ashli Babbitt’s mother was arrested last month during a demonstration at the Capitol for allegedly blocking and obstructing a roadway but later released after the charges were dropped.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Republican Conference Press Conference

Kevin McCarthy Defends Officer Who Shot Ashli Babbitt: ‘I Think The Police Officer Did His Job’

Kevin McCarthy Defends Officer Who Shot Ashli Babbitt

Capitol Riot

Congress

January 6

Kevin McCarthy

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Politics

U.S. Politics

The chief investigative counsel for the House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6 committee</a> concluded that failures by federal law enforcement officials played a significant role in the January 6 riot and if those agencies had simply acted on the intelligence they had before hand, they could have prevented the riot.
Former federal prosecutor Tim Heaphy <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/fbi-stopped-jan-6-capitol-mob-acted-intelligence-rcna68155" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> his findings to NBC News in an exclusive interview Tuesday, which the Democrat-controlled committee &#8220;left out of its televised hearings and final report.&#8221;
Heaphy said that while former President Donald Trump was &#8220;the proximate cause&#8221; for the events of that day, &#8220;what happened at the Capitol was also affected by law enforcement failures to operationalize the ample intelligence that was present before Jan. 6, about the threats of violence.”
“Law enforcement had a very direct role in contributing to the security failures that led to the violence,” he said. “There was a lot of advance intelligence about law enforcement, about carrying weapons, about the vulnerability of the Capitol. The intel in advance was pretty specific, and it was enough, in our view, for law enforcement to have done a better job.”
The report noted that the highly politicized committee not only chose to downplay his findings, but at times went as far as to &#8220;contradict&#8221; his conclusions.
The report outlined the following conclusions that Heaphy said that investigators found:
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>The Capitol Police failed to deploy enough force to defend the building, but the FBI and DHS, the federal agencies charged with collecting intelligence about domestic extremists, didn’t do enough to sound the alarm about the threat.</li>
<li>The FBI and DHS were too cautious about exploiting so-called “open source” intelligence gleaned from social media out of misplaced concern about free speech violations.</li>
<li>The FBI and DHS made a crucial error by not publishing a Joint Intelligence Bulletin about the threats they were seeing, which might have prompted a more robust defense of the Capitol.</li>
<li>There was confusion about which federal agency was in charge, hampering the response once the Capitol was breached.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
Heaphy said that mistakes were made that led to law enforcement not acting on tips they received that violence may break out that day, tips that were submitted weeks in advance.
“Even if individual tips don’t, by themselves, provide enough specific and credible information to take an investigative step, take a step back. If there are 50 such tips, aggregate intelligence suggests, ‘Hey, maybe we have a problem,’” Heaphy said. “That was the failure here.”

Capitol steps

Top January 6 Investigator: FBI, Other Federal Agencies Could Have Stopped Riot If They Did Their Jobs

Crime

January 6 Committee

U.S.

Three active-duty Marines face charges for allegedly entering the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
An FBI investigation led to the arrest this week of Cpl. Micah Coomer and Sgts. Joshua Abate and Dodge Dale Hellonen, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23580627-complaint-against-abate-coomer-and-hellonen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">court documents show</a>. The three men each face four charges, including illegal entry and disorderly conduct.
Investigators relied on surveillance camera footage and open-source materials to identify the men amid the crowd of people who entered the U.S. Capitol, disrupting lawmakers meeting to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. The trio allegedly spent about 52 minutes inside the building.
Search warrants issued to Facebook and Verizon assisted in the inquiry. A federal affidavit disclosed messages on Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, that show Coomer suggesting the 2020 election was fraudulent and saying he was waiting for a &#8220;boogaloo,&#8221; which he clarified meant &#8220;Civil war 2.&#8221;
The affidavit says Abate was interviewed on June 1, 2022, as part of his security clearance. He discussed how he entered the U.S. Capitol building on January 6 with two &#8220;buddies&#8221; and they &#8220;walked around and tried not to get hit with tear gas.&#8221; He also allegedly said he decided he should not tell anyone about going into the Capitol because he heard how the events of that day were being portrayed negatively.
None of the defendants entered a plea or have lawyers listed on the docket, according to reports Friday.
A Marine Corps spokesperson <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/20/politics/marines-us-capitol-riot-arrest/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told CNN</a> the military is &#8220;aware of an investigation and the allegations&#8221; and is &#8220;fully cooperating with appropriate authorities in support of the investigation.&#8221;
Nearly 1,000 people have been charged in connection to January 6, including dozens of people with military backgrounds, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-carolina/articles/2023-01-20/3-active-duty-marines-charged-in-jan-6-capitol-riot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Associated Press</a>. Among the few who were identified to be on active duty was <a href="https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/judge-likely-to-uphold-quantico-marine-s-jan-6-charges/article_b4635140-7727-11ed-a4f9-03486f7b4b93.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Marine Corps officer charged</a> in 2021 for allegedly assaulting a federal law enforcement officer.

Three Marines Arrested In Connection To January 6

General

Marines

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-twitter-files-twitter-and-the-fbi-belly-button" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Twitter Files&#8221;</a> serve as a model for how U.S. Capitol security footage from January 6, 2021, could be released to the public, House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) said on Sunday.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTi8l3UQK6g&amp;t=93s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McCarthy told Maria Bartiromo</a>, host of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-jordan-gives-update-on-fbi-whistleblowers-teases-public-hearings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures,”</a> he is looking to release the tapes because of the &#8220;politicization&#8221; he believes has been fostered by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/january-6-panel-alerts-white-house-about-anonymous-witnesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6 Committee</a>.
The speaker referred to how Twitter, under the leadership of CEO <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk,</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave access to troves of internal communications</a> to a group of independent journalists who have been sharing details via &#8220;Twitter Files&#8221; threads.
&#8220;The best way to handle this is exactly the way Elon Musk [did]: Just put all the information out there and let people see what is truth and what is not,&#8221; McCarthy said. &#8220;So, the best way to do that is to release the tapes. People can know for themselves instead of picking and choosing what views they want people to see.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerMcCarthy</a>: I don’t know what’s in the January 6 tapes, but I think they need to be released so the people can see for themselves what transpired. <a href="https://t.co/XXUnM7pUWD">pic.twitter.com/XXUnM7pUWD</a>
&mdash; The Dirty Truth (Josh) (@AKA_RealDirty) <a href="https://twitter.com/AKA_RealDirty/status/1614665693940838402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Capitol Police say the system of cameras captured more than <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/29/capitol-police-jan6-footage-478439" target="_blank" rel="noopener">14,000 hours of footage</a> between noon and 8 p.m. on the day a crowd of people entered the U.S. Capitol, disrupting lawmakers meeting to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
One particular member of the House Republican conference, Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matt-gaetz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Gaetz</a> (R-FL), has hit the airwaves insisting this footage &#8220;would give more full context to that day rather than the cherry-picked moments the January 6 Committee tried to use to inflame and further divide our country.&#8221;
In an interview with CNN, Gaetz said the footage could provide exculpatory evidence to January 6 defendants. He also dismissed concerns about how disclosing the tapes could jeopardize security. &#8220;I think that it&#8217;s an argument made by the Department of Justice because they don&#8217;t want to expose the extent to which there might have been federal assets or agents enhancing criminal acuity,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepMattGaetz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMattGaetz</a> Responds To Claim That Releasing The 14k Hours Of 1/6 Footage Would Jeopardize Security
&quot;I think that it&#39;s an argument made by the DOJ because they don&#39;t want to expose the extent to which there might have been federal assets or agents enhancing criminal acuity.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Jv1Fycyfyz">pic.twitter.com/Jv1Fycyfyz</a>
&mdash; The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColumbiaBugle/status/1614651589431824384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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McCarthy told reporters last week he wants to be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kevin-mccarthy-says-hes-engaged-to-release-january-6-security-footage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;very thoughtful&#8221;</a> about releasing Capitol security footage but stressed that he is &#8220;engaged to do that.&#8221;
The speaker told Bartiromo on Sunday that he had not yet seen the videos.
&#8220;I just think they should be released,&#8221; he added.

Kevin McCarthy Shares ‘Best Way’ To Release January 6 Tapes

Kevin McCarthy Shares 'Best Way' To Release January 6 Tapes

Department of Justice

U.S. House of Representatives

The January 6 Committee ended its year-and-a-half-long investigation without releasing publicly several pieces of evidence.
Last month, the panel <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/politics/jan-6-committee-final-report/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released its final report</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-trump-charges-jan-6-panel-considered-but-did-not-approve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended charges</a> against former President Donald Trump, and began to <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/media-center/select-committee-witness-materials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release hundreds of witness materials</a>. But because the panel disbanded at the start of the new session of Congress, it cannot release the information that has been sent to the National Archives, <a href="https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/01-12-2023/jan6-panel-withholds-some-evidence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Politico</a>.
Undisclosed materials include text messages between key witness Cassidy Hutchinson and other Trump administration officials, as well as the transcript of an interview conducted with Robert Engel, the Secret Service agent who led former President Donald Trump&#8217;s security detail on January 6, 2021.
The full testimony of Engel and Anthony Ornato, a now-former Secret Service and White House aide, remains a significant source of intrigue as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/12/new-evidence-show-trump-was-warned-violence-jan-6/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anonymous Secret Service sources told the media</a> they were ready to dispute Hutchinson&#8217;s account of being told by Ornato that Trump lunged at Engel inside the presidential SUV on January 6, 2021, when Trump was informed they were not going to drive to the U.S. Capitol after his speech on the White House Ellipse.
&#8220;No excuse why Bobby Engel’s transcript can’t be released,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1613916216879648768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted American Greatness senior writer Julie Kelly</a>. &#8220;The only reason to bury it is because he contradicted what Casidy [sic] Hutchinson said about the physical encounter with Trump. GOP should demand it.&#8221;
The January 6 Committee <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-J6-TRANSCRIPT-CHAIR-VICE-CHAIR-LETTER-TO-DHS/pdf/GPO-J6-TRANSCRIPT-CHAIR-VICE-CHAIR-LETTER-TO-DHS.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a letter</a> to the Homeland Security Department requests by Secret Service lawyers and private attorneys for Secret Service agents to keep certain information and records withheld from public disclosure. Another letter from Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/january-6-panel-alerts-white-house-about-anonymous-witnesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned the White House</a> they could not ensure the confidentiality of certain witnesses once Republicans took over the House.
In one transcript that was released for an interview with Ornato, Ornato <a href="https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1613932909504729091" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said he could not recall</a> the alleged altercation in the SUV. Politico&#8217;s Kyle Cheney <a href="https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1613918028818784258" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted the panel did not release transcripts</a> of two prior interviews the committee conducted with Ornato after which members questioned his honesty. The January 6 Committee said in its final report that it regarded Hutchinson and corroborating testimony from another White House official &#8220;as earnest and has no reason to conclude that either had a reason to invent their accounts.&#8221;
Other materials that were never released include text messages from Ivanka Trump, the former president&#8217;s daughter and White House adviser, that were referenced in her interview, as well as text messages between a top aide to former Vice President Mike Pence and an aide to Sen. Ron Johnson (W-WI) referenced by the January 6 Committee during one of its public hearings, per Politico.
The January 6 Committee appears to have not released publicly about 30 gigabytes worth of evidence, specifically exhibits to the transcripts that were disclosed with redactions, federal prosecutors wrote in a court filing this week as part of a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23571551/oathkeepers.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">case against several members of the Oath Keepers</a>.
While working to woo GOP holdouts in his bid to become speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) <a href="https://punchbowl.news/rules-package-highlights/?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=1/2/23%20%20Punchbowl%20News%20AM&amp;utm_term=Punchbowl%20AM%20and%20Active%20Subscribers%20from%20Memberful%20Combined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed to a provision</a> in the House rules package for the new session of Congress to demand the <a href="https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules118.house.gov/files/BILLS-118hresPIH-118th-rules-of-the-house-of-reps-V3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transfer of records</a> from the January 6 Committee to the House Administration Committee by January 17.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said on Wednesday that McCarthy vowed to release 14,000 hours of U.S. Capitol security footage from January 6, when a crowd of people entered the U.S. Capitol, disrupting lawmakers meeting to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. McCarthy told reporters on Thursday the American public &#8220;should see&#8221; what happened on that day. &#8220;We&#8217;re looking through that,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I want to be very thoughtful about it. But yes, I&#8217;m engaged to do that.&#8221;

Cassidy Hutchinson

Evidence The January 6 Committee Never Released

Donald Trump

Secret Service

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said Thursday he is pushing for the disclosure of unreleased U.S. Capitol security footage from January 6, 2021.
Taking a shot at the January 6 Committee and its &#8220;report that&#8217;s written for a political basis,&#8221; McCarthy told reporters on Capitol Hill the American public &#8220;should see&#8221; what happened on that day. &#8220;We&#8217;re looking through that,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I want to be very thoughtful about it. But yes, I&#8217;m engaged to do that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerMcCarthy</a> says he’s going to release all of the security footage from January 6. <a href="https://t.co/RHaSnwJDAp">pic.twitter.com/RHaSnwJDAp</a>
&mdash; The Dirty Truth (Josh) (@AKA_RealDirty) <a href="https://twitter.com/AKA_RealDirty/status/1613575243137781773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The comments follow Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) saying on Wednesday that McCarthy &#8220;told us he&#8217;s going to get the evidence out in front of the American people and that means releasing the 14,000 hours of tapes that have been hidden.&#8221;
Gaetz, who was speaking with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, added that the footage &#8220;would give more full context to that day rather than the cherry-picked moments the January 6 Committee tried to use to inflame and further divide our country.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep. Matt Gaetz: The American people are finally going to get the truth about Jan 6. <a href="https://t.co/Lcz2EdfwhI">pic.twitter.com/Lcz2EdfwhI</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1612908248797175809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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On January 6, 2021, a crowd of people entered the U.S. Capitol, disrupting lawmakers meeting to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. A system of cameras in and around the Capitol captured more than <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/29/capitol-police-jan6-footage-478439" target="_blank" rel="noopener">14,000 hours of footage</a> between noon and 8 p.m. that day, according to the Capitol Police. Though congressional committees controlled by Democrats, law enforcement, and more were given access to the archive, the Capitol Police warned that attorneys for January 6 defendants should not be given the footage without &#8220;safeguards in place to prevent its copy and dissemination,&#8221; and the <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/capitol-footage-lawsuit-release-insurrection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government raised national security concerns</a>.
After a year and a half of investigations and hearings which featured some security video clips, the January 6 Committee last month <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/politics/jan-6-committee-final-report/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released its final report</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-trump-charges-jan-6-panel-considered-but-did-not-approve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended charges</a> against former President Donald Trump, and began to <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/media-center/select-committee-witness-materials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release dozens of witness materials</a>. McCarthy was one of several House Republicans the January 6 Committee recommended for <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-J6-REPORT/pdf/GPO-J6-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ethics sanctions</a> after defying its subpoenas.
House Republicans conducted their own investigation without subpoena power and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/january-6th-was-pelosis-fault-house-republicans-investigative-report-unveils-counter-narrative-of-u-s-capitol-riot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a rebuttal report</a> that Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), the leader of the effort, said &#8220;exposes the partisanship, incompetence and indifference that led to the disaster on January 6 and it the leading role Speaker Pelosi and her office played in the security failure at the Capitol.&#8221;
McCarthy withdrew his five picks for the January 6 Committee in the summer of 2021 and selected five Republicans to be part of the Republican investigation after Pelosi refused to allow Banks and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) to become members. Instead, Pelosi picked Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) to be part of the committee.
While working to woo GOP holdouts in his bid to become speaker, McCarthy <a href="https://punchbowl.news/rules-package-highlights/?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=1/2/23%20%20Punchbowl%20News%20AM&amp;utm_term=Punchbowl%20AM%20and%20Active%20Subscribers%20from%20Memberful%20Combined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed to a provision</a> in the House rules package for the new session of Congress to demand the <a href="https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules118.house.gov/files/BILLS-118hresPIH-118th-rules-of-the-house-of-reps-V3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transfer of records</a> from the January 6th Committee to the House Administration Committee by January 17. The resolution also included the establishment of a select committee to investigate the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-to-start-committee-on-weaponization-of-the-federal-government-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;weaponization&#8221; of the federal government</a>.

Kevin McCarthy Says He’s ‘Engaged’ To Release January 6 Security Footage

The mother of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ashli-babbitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashli Babbitt</a> says she was &#8220;aggressively&#8221; arrested near the Capitol on Friday, two years after her daughter was fatally shot in the halls of Congress.
Micki Witthoeft <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_EbESkg_C8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared her story with Newsmax</a> hours after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/capitol-police-arrest-ashli-babbitts-mother-on-two-year-anniversary-of-riot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she was detained</a> for allegedly failing to obey an order and obstructing a roadway. Witthoeft said she and others were looking for a place to lay down flowers at the Capitol for her daughter and other &#8220;unarmed American patriots&#8221; in the crowd on January 6, 2021, who died.
On that day two years ago, Babbitt, an Air Force veteran in her mid-30s who was a supporter of former President Donald Trump, entered the U.S. Capitol with a crowd of people, disrupting lawmakers meeting to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2021/01/08/ashli-babbitt-shooting-video-capitol/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Video shows the moment</a> she was fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer as she climbed through the broken window of a barricaded door near the Speaker&#8217;s Lobby.
The Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/department-justice-closes-investigation-death-ashli-babbitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refused to pursue criminal charges</a> and the Capitol Police <a href="https://www.uscp.gov/media-center/press-releases/uscp-completes-internal-investigation-january-6-officer-involved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declined to take disciplinary action</a> in connection to the incident against the officer, Lt. Michael Byrd, who claimed to NBC News that <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/officer-who-shot-ashli-babbitt-during-capitol-riot-breaks-silence-n1277736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pulling the trigger</a> was a “last resort.”
On Friday, as President Joe Biden awarded medals to a dozen individuals, including police officers who were injured defending the Capitol two years ago, Witthoeft said her group&#8217;s initial plan was to lay flowers on the steps of the Capitol. Witthoeft said people were being let in, but her group &#8220;with our signs and our flags&#8221; were denied entry. As the group walked around to find another spot, Witthoeft said they were limited in where they could walk.
Witthoeft said there were other citizens walking on a sidewalk, but her group was not allowed to &#8220;because we had American flags at the United States Capitol.&#8221; Witthoeft said crossing four lanes of traffic to the other side would have deprived her of honoring Babbitt, and so they walked on the road. This was when the arrest caught on video took place.
Witthoeft said one officer &#8220;aggressively&#8221; detained her. &#8220;He was very aggressive. I put my hands behind my back and that&#8217;s when he started yanking me around,&#8221; she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BABBITT&#39;S MOTHER SPEAKS OUT: Micki Witthoeft, mother of Ashli Babbitt, speaks out to <a href="https://twitter.com/SchmittNYC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SchmittNYC</a> after she herself was arrested by Capitol police on the two-year anniversary of the date of her daughter&#39;s killing. ➡ <a href="https://t.co/QiLDC8cWv4">https://t.co/QiLDC8cWv4</a> <a href="https://t.co/9f01Q4bcjY">pic.twitter.com/9f01Q4bcjY</a>
&mdash; NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) <a href="https://twitter.com/NEWSMAX/status/1611537753354964996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Capitol Police released a <a href="https://www.uscp.gov/media-center/press-releases/woman-charged-blocking-and-obstructing-roadways-obey-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that said a group of demonstrators was &#8220;illegally blocking traffic&#8221; on Independence Avenue, SW, near First Street, SW.
&#8220;The group did not have a permit to demonstrate on Capitol Grounds,&#8221; Capitol Police said. &#8220;Officers established a clear police line to prevent the group from moving further west on Independence Avenue, SW. The officers and officials told the group to get out of the road or the group would be arrested. The sidewalk was open. A woman in the group was given multiple warnings to get out of the road. Instead of getting out of the road, the woman refused to leave, turned around with her hands behind her back, and asked to be arrested.&#8221;
The woman, identified as 58-year-old Witthoeft, was arrested on a charge of blocking and obstructing roadways, as well as for allegedly violating a regulation to obey an order. &#8220;As is typical for this charge, Ms. Witthoeft was processed and released this afternoon after being given a citation to appear in court at a later date,&#8221; the Capitol Police said.
Newsmax host Rob Schmitt, who was interviewing Witthoeft, said Black Lives Matter and climate protesters receive different treatment. He also posited that what happened to Witthoeft and her group &#8220;was political in nature to some extent.&#8221;
The interview ended with Witthoeft talking about how she and others have been holding vigils outside the Washington, D.C., jail where Capitol riot defendants are being held &#8220;unconstitutionally.&#8221; She added that they have been sitting in on the trials and, &#8220;it&#8217;s my opinion that they tried the day on the calendar and not the person to the offense.&#8221;

Micki Witthoeft, the mother of slain J6 participant Ashli Babbitt

Ashli Babbitt’s Mother Speaks Out After Arrest

Ashli Babbitt's Mother Speaks Out After Arrest

Ashli Babbitt

Capitol Police

Washington D.C.

The longtime girlfriend of late Capitol Police Officer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-two-charged-with-assaulting-officer-brian-sicknick-during-january-6-riot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brian Sicknick</a> is suing former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/my-dinner-with-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Donald Trump</a> and two others over claims of wrongful death and conspiracy to violate civil rights.
Officer Sicknick, according to the D.C. medical examiner, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/brian-sicknick-death-strokes/2021/04/19/36d2d310-617e-11eb-afbe-9a11a127d146_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suffered two strokes and died of natural causes</a> the day after a riot broke out at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.
&#8220;Before directing the mob to the U.S. Capitol, Defendant Trump instructed them to &#8216;fight like hell&#8217; and declared that &#8216;you’re allowed to go by very different rules&#8217; and &#8216;you have to show strength,'&#8221; <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/06/trump-jan-6-brian-sicknick-lawsuit?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=editorial&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a> the suit filed by Sicknick&#8217;s longtime girlfriend Sandra Garza and the late officer&#8217;s estate. &#8220;Defendant Trump intended these words to be taken literally.&#8221; The suit is seeking $10 million in damages, according to Axios.
The suit goes on to say Trump &#8220;intentionally riled up the crowd and directed and encouraged a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol and attack those who opposed them.&#8221;
&#8220;The violence that followed, and the injuries that violence caused, including the injuries sustained by Officer Sicknick and his eventual death, were reasonable and foreseeable consequences of Defendant Trump’s words and conduct,&#8221; the lawsuit claims.
D.C. medical examiner Francisco J. Diaz <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/brian-sicknick-death-strokes/2021/04/19/36d2d310-617e-11eb-afbe-9a11a127d146_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Washington Post in 2021 that he determined Sicknick suffered two strokes and died of natural causes, finding no evidence of internal or external injuries. The medical examiner added that he found no evidence the officer suffered an allergic reaction to chemical irritants, which would have caused his throat to seize.
Two men, Julian Khater and George Tanio, have since been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-two-charged-with-assaulting-officer-brian-sicknick-during-january-6-riot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with spraying bear spray on Sicknick during the breach. Both are named in a suit filed by Garza.
Diaz further told the Post he could not comment on whether Sicknick had any preexisting conditions related to his death, but added that “all that transpired&#8221; on January 6 &#8220;played a role in his condition.”
“The USCP accepts the findings from the Office of the Medical Examiner, but this does not change the fact Officer Brian Sicknick died in the Line of Duty, courageously defending Congress and the Capitol,” Capitol Police <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/d-c-medical-examiner-capitol-police-officer-brian-sicknick-suffered-two-strokes-died-of-natural-causes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement following the autopsy report, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/d-c-medical-examiner-capitol-police-officer-brian-sicknick-suffered-two-strokes-died-of-natural-causes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported. “The Department continues to mourn the loss of our beloved colleague. The attack on our officers, including Brian, was an attack on our democracy. Working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the F.B.I.’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department, the USCP will continue to ensure those responsible for the assault against officers are held accountable.”
Notably, The New York Times reported on January 8, 2021, that Sicknick &#8220;was struck with a fire extinguisher&#8221; during the breach. The Times, though, later updated the story to acknowledge that there was no evidence of blunt-force trauma, which is consistent with the autopsy findings.
&#8220;Law enforcement officials initially said Mr. Sicknick was struck with a fire extinguisher, but weeks later, police sources and investigators were at odds over whether he was hit,&#8221; the Times wrote. &#8220;Medical experts have said he did not die of blunt force trauma, according to one law enforcement official.&#8221;
On the day of the Capitol breach, Trump posted video to Twitter telling protesters to go home and be peaceful. Legal experts, like National Review columnist Andy McCarthy, have noted Trump&#8217;s direction to be peaceful, specifically in relation to  the January 6 Committee, which sought to directly tie Trump to the rioting, similar to Garza&#8217;s suit. 
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Andy McCarthy: Trump &quot;took pains in the speech to say that he wanted them to march peacefully. The fact that the committee doesn&#39;t broadcast that he said that doesn&#39;t make that go away&#8230;again this is a theatrical exercise more than a real hearing process.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/fXtgUM5agK">pic.twitter.com/fXtgUM5agK</a>
&mdash; MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/MAGAIncWarRoom/status/1604922062082113555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/d-c-medical-examiner-capitol-police-officer-brian-sicknick-suffered-two-strokes-died-of-natural-causes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">D.C. Medical Examiner: Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick Suffered Two Strokes, Died Of Natural Causes</a>

Boston Bruins v New Jersey Devils

Girlfriend Of Capitol Police Officer Sicknick Suing Trump For Millions Over Claims Of Wrongful Death

The mother of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ashli-babbitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashli Babbitt</a> got arrested at a demonstration near the Capitol exactly two years after her daughter was fatally shot during the Capitol riot.
Video footage posted to Twitter showed Babbitt&#8217;s mother, Micki Witthoeft, being escorted by officers into a Capitol Police vehicle on Friday afternoon.
Capitol Police <a href="https://www.uscp.gov/media-center/press-releases/woman-charged-blocking-and-obstructing-roadways-obey-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a statement</a> that said Witthoeft, 58, was arrested on a charge of blocking and obstructing roadways, as well as for allegedly violating a regulation to obey an order.
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Capitol Police said there were a group of demonstrators &#8220;illegally blocking traffic on Independence Avenue, SW, near First Street, SW.&#8221;
The statement added: &#8220;The group did not have a permit to demonstrate on Capitol Grounds. Officers established a clear police line to prevent the group from moving further west on Independence Avenue, SW. The officers and officials told the group to get out of the road or the group would be arrested. The sidewalk was open. A woman in the group was given multiple warnings to get out of the road. Instead of getting out of the road, the woman refused to leave, turned around with her hands behind her back, and asked to be arrested.&#8221;
The statement concluded: &#8220;As is typical for this charge, Ms. Witthoeft was processed and released this afternoon after being given a citation to appear in court at a later date.&#8221;
The demonstration near the Capitol took place on the two-year anniversary of the Capitol riot. Witthoeft was part of a group demonstrating near the Supreme Court in support of people arrested and charged in connection to the riot, per Getty. Witthoeft later told Newsmax that she was arrested while seeking to lay down flowers for the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/us/politics/jan-6-capitol-deaths.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four people in the January 6 crowd</a>, including her daughter, who died two years ago.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BABBITT&#39;S MOTHER SPEAKS OUT: Micki Witthoeft, mother of Ashli Babbitt, speaks out to <a href="https://twitter.com/SchmittNYC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SchmittNYC</a> after she herself was arrested by Capitol police on the two-year anniversary of the date of her daughter&#39;s killing. ➡ <a href="https://t.co/QiLDC8cWv4">https://t.co/QiLDC8cWv4</a> <a href="https://t.co/9f01Q4bcjY">pic.twitter.com/9f01Q4bcjY</a>
&mdash; NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) <a href="https://twitter.com/NEWSMAX/status/1611537753354964996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Democrats marked the anniversary of the riot with President Joe Biden awarding medals to a dozen individuals, <a href="https://abc7.com/citizens-medal-jan-6-president-biden-capitol-insurrection/12660974/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including police officers</a> who were injured defending the Capitol that day.
Babbitt, an Air Force veteran in her mid-30s who was a supporter of former President Donald Trump, entered the U.S. Capitol with a throng of people on January 6, 2021, disrupting lawmakers meeting to certify Biden&#8217;s 2020 election victory.
A Capitol Police officer shot Babbitt as she tried to make her way through a broken window of a barricaded door near the Speaker&#8217;s Lobby, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2021/01/08/ashli-babbitt-shooting-video-capitol/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as shown in video clips</a>. She later died at a nearby hospital from her injuries, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/department-justice-closes-investigation-death-ashli-babbitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to authorities</a>.
After the Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/department-justice-closes-investigation-death-ashli-babbitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refused to pursue criminal charges</a> and the Capitol Police <a href="https://www.uscp.gov/media-center/press-releases/uscp-completes-internal-investigation-january-6-officer-involved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declined to take disciplinary action</a> in connection to the incident, Lt. Michael Byrd revealed himself as the officer who shot Babbitt.
“I know that day I saved countless lives,” Byrd said in an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/officer-who-shot-ashli-babbitt-during-capitol-riot-breaks-silence-n1277736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with NBC News</a>. “I know members of Congress, as well as my fellow officers and staff, were in jeopardy and in serious danger. And that’s my job.” He told the news outlet that pulling the trigger was a &#8220;last resort.&#8221;
Though Babbitt&#8217;s family in San Diego, California, were said to sue the Capitol Police for $10 million, <a href="https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/ashli-babbitt-wrongful-death-lawsuit-not-filed/509-75117a93-aabf-4723-a755-e34bc90ba2dd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS 8 reported in June 2022</a> that they had yet to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Babbitt&#8217;s widower, Aaron Babbitt, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10381601/Ashli-Babbitts-husband-says-alive-attended-Capitol-Riot-her.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told TMZ early last year</a> he believed Ashli Babbitt would not have entered the Capitol if he flew to Washington, D.C., with her.
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Micki Witthoeft, mother of Ashli Babbitt

Capitol Police Arrest Ashli Babbitt’s Mother On Two-Year Anniversary Of Riot

Capitol Police Arrest Ashli Babbitt's Mother On Two-Year Anniversary Of Riot

In one of its final acts, the House January 6 Committee warned the White House it cannot ensure the confidentiality of certain witnesses.
Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) wrote to Richard Sauber, special counsel to President Joe Biden, saying they &#8220;fully share&#8221; a &#8220;concern for the safety, security, and reputations&#8221; of its witnesses as the panel dissolves and Republicans take control of the House this week.
Their letter, dated Dec. 30, says the committee entered into an agreement with Sauber&#8217;s office to make available &#8220;personnel&#8221; who then provided &#8220;important information&#8221; to the panel. Any other identifying information is redacted in the <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/sites/democrats.january6th.house.gov/files/2022-12-30.BGT%20Letter%20to%20WH%20Richard%20Sauber%20%28002%29_Redacted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public version of the letter</a>.
Under their agreement the committee &#8220;would do its utmost&#8221; to protect identities, but as of the first week of January 2023 the panel &#8220;will no longer exercise control of this material, and thus cannot ensure enforcement of the commitment to maintain the confidentiality of the identity of witnesses,&#8221; the letter adds.
After a year and a half of investigating efforts to challenge the 2020 results and the Capitol riot, the January 6 Committee last month <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/politics/jan-6-committee-final-report/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released its final report</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-trump-charges-jan-6-panel-considered-but-did-not-approve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended charges</a> against former President Donald Trump, and <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/media-center/select-committee-witness-materials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released dozens of witness materials</a>. The panel posted the &#8220;vast majority&#8221; of its witness transcripts online, <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/news/press-releases/message-chairman-thompson-vice-chair-cheney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Thompson and Cheney</a>.
On Tuesday, the members of the House will gather to vote on the next speaker. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is well positioned to win, but has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kevin-mccarthy-moves-into-speakers-suite-with-bid-for-gavel-uncertain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struggled to lock in</a> all the votes guaranteeing a simple majority.
While working to woo GOP holdouts, McCarthy<a href="https://punchbowl.news/rules-package-highlights/?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=1/2/23%20%20Punchbowl%20News%20AM&amp;utm_term=Punchbowl%20AM%20and%20Active%20Subscribers%20from%20Memberful%20Combined" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> unveiled a rules package</a> for the incoming Congress that will require the &#8220;quick transfer of records&#8221; from the January 6th Committee to the House Administration Committee. McCarthy is one of several House Republicans the January 6 Committee recommended for <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-J6-REPORT/pdf/GPO-J6-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ethics sanctions</a> after defying its subpoenas.
In their letter to the White House, Thompson and Cheney say official records of the committee will be archived and come under the control of the National Archives in accordance with House rules. The letter adds transcripts are being provided for &#8220;appropriate review, timely return, and designation of instructions for proper handling by the National Archives.&#8221;
“During your review, we recommend that [redacted] provide for the official file that will reside with the Archives any necessary written guidance regarding the need for limitations on release or other sensitivities,” the letter says. “Our expectation is that the transcripts with such instructions will become part of the historical record of our investigation maintained by the National Archives.”
The January 6 Committee sent a <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/sites/democrats.january6th.house.gov/files/2022-12-30.BGT%20Letter%20to%20Meyer.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar letter</a> to the general counsel of the Homeland Security Department regarding the Secret Service and its agents. The public version of that letter has no redactions.

Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney

January 6 Panel Alerts White House About Anonymous Witnesses

Ray Epps, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-times-sympathetic-profile-of-mysterious-january-6-figure-ray-epps-only-raises-more-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a mysterious January 6 figure</a> some theorized to be a federal informant, told his nephew that he &#8220;orchestrated&#8221; what transpired that day in 2021.
The bombastic assertion was revealed in <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/sites/democrats.january6th.house.gov/files/20220121_Ray%20Epps.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a lightly redacted transcript released Thursday</a> by the House January 6 Committee. Claiming he made a poor choice of words to his nephew, Epps insisted to congressional investigators his actions had nothing to do with inciting the Capitol riot and, to the contrary, he was trying to stop the onset of violence. Epps, who is seen in video clips encouraging people to march into the Capitol, also flatly denied he was acting on behalf of any government agency while in Washington, D.C.
His nephew, 28-year-old Dalin, texted Epps on the morning of January 6, saying, &#8220;You and Jim be safe.&#8221; Jim is Epps&#8217; son, who was also in the nation&#8217;s capital. Hours later, at 2:12 p.m., as the violence at the Capitol was getting underway, Epps responded with a brag. &#8220;I was in the front with a few others. I also orchestrated it,&#8221; he said.
Investigators pressed Epps to explain his wording.
&#8220;I just meant that I got — you have to understand our relationship, uncle-nephew. We hunt together. We fun with each other [sic]. We do that kind of stuff,&#8221; he said. &#8220;What I meant by &#8216;orchestrate,&#8217; I helped get people there.&#8221;
Epps also said he &#8220;took credit for it, but I didn&#8217;t know what I was taking credit for,&#8221; and later claimed he used the wrong word. &#8220;I won&#8217;t know what the right word is, but &#8216;orchestrating&#8217; — my wife has told me over and over, you shouldn&#8217;t say things you don&#8217;t — you know, I shouldn&#8217;t have used that word,&#8221; he said.
As Epps would tell it, what he really was eager for was a &#8220;peaceful demonstration&#8221; about the election, and he lamented how a party-like gathering was &#8220;hijacked&#8221; by troublemakers.
Family is a common theme over the course of the interview with the House committee, which took place on January 21 of this year.
Epps, an Arizona man and former Oath Keeper, said he traveled to Washington, D.C., to spend time with his son. He said he was there at the behest of his wife who was concerned about their son&#8217;s safety amid reports of unrest in various cities.
Despite this motivation, Epps described multiple occasions in which he was separated from his son and his son&#8217;s friend. That includes when Epps left Trump&#8217;s rally on the Ellipse near the White House on January 6 — right when the former president <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/01/05/1069977469/a-timeline-of-how-the-jan-6-attack-unfolded-including-who-said-what-and-when" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started to speak around noon</a>.
Epps said he saw a group departing for the Capitol and decided to follow because he wanted to &#8220;be in the front.&#8221; Epps said he saw people carrying items such as &#8220;sticks or bars&#8221; and told them to put them down, warning, &#8220;You could get shot.&#8221; He also said he wasn&#8217;t walking with anybody in particular.
Epps claimed he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/revealed-ray-epps-claimed-he-believed-capitol-was-open-to-public-on-january-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believed the Capitol was open</a> to the public — on a day when lawmakers were meeting to certify President Joe Biden&#8217;s 2020 election victory — until he saw the barricades outside the building. Epps said he tried to de-escalate brewing clashes between other demonstrators and law enforcement, and after a while, he left to return to the hotel.
In another text message with his nephew, Epps said, &#8220;I think a few got sucked into the heat of the moment,&#8221; according to the transcript. Asked to explain what he meant, Epps cited &#8220;all kinds of stuff&#8221; from the preceding year, including the onset of COVID and businesses shutting down.
&#8220;I believe people went there for answers. People wanted to know what&#8217;s next. And I believe they were emotionally charged. A lot of people were emotionally charged and could have got sucked in,&#8221; Epps said. &#8220;So, when these guys tried to hijack it, I think some innocent people, people that meant well, probably were emotionally charged and did some things they normally wouldn&#8217;t do.&#8221;

v2 Elordi – What Role Did Ray Epps Play In January 6_ (1)

Ray Epps Told Nephew He ‘Orchestrated’ January 6

Ray Epps Told Nephew He 'Orchestrated' January 6

Ray Epps

Ray Epps, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-times-sympathetic-profile-of-mysterious-january-6-figure-ray-epps-only-raises-more-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a mysterious January 6 figure</a> some theorized to be a federal informant, told congressional investigators he believed the U.S. Capitol was open to the public on the day of the riot.
The assertion appears in a <a href="https://january6th.house.gov/sites/democrats.january6th.house.gov/files/20220121_Ray%20Epps.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">long-awaited transcript</a> released Thursday by the House January 6 Committee, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawyer-harmeet-dhillon-claims-victory-as-january-6-panel-drops-trump-subpoena" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released its final report last week</a>. Epps, a self-proclaimed supporter of former President Donald Trump who raised concerns about the 2020 election, was asked about January 5, 2021, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikta_UQBT04" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video footage showing him</a> urging a crowd to &#8220;go into the Capitol&#8221; the next day.
Epps said &#8220;yes&#8221; when asked if he was under the impression that the Capitol would be open on January 6, the day lawmakers met to certify President Joe Biden&#8217;s 2020 election victory. He again said &#8220;yes&#8221; when the word &#8220;open&#8221; in this case was described as &#8220;like, open to visitors, like anyone could walk in.&#8221;
Asked why he believed the Capitol would be open, Epps contended, &#8220;It was a weekday.&#8221; When Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) pressed Epps on how he perceived the negative reaction he received from the crowd in response to his call to enter the Capitol — people around him shouted &#8220;No!&#8221; and chanted &#8220;Fed! Fed! Fed!&#8221; — Epps contended, &#8220;I don&#8217;t think I thought about it at the time.&#8221; Epps also stressed that he thought he followed up by telling the crowd to go into the Capitol &#8220;peacefully.&#8221;
Epps asserted his actions in those moments were geared toward trying to stop the onset of violence that night, but he conceded what he told the crowd, including that what he was saying might get him arrested, amounted to a poor choice of words. &#8220;It shouldn&#8217;t have been said, but I said it,&#8221; Epps testified.
Speculation about Epps, an Arizona man and former Oath Keeper, has been stoked by Republican lawmakers and high-profile conservatives including Fox News host Tucker Carlson. During the interview with the January 6 Committee, Epps said the &#8220;crazy&#8221; theories that swirled around him made life &#8220;really, really difficult.&#8221; He also flatly denied he was acting on behalf of any government agency while in Washington, D.C.
“The only time I’ve been involved with the government was when I was a Marine in the United States Marine Corps,&#8221; he said.
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Part of the fascination with Epps derived from how he appeared on the FBI&#8217;s Capitol Violence Most Wanted list before he was removed without explanation, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ray-epps-called-fbi-tip-line-two-days-after-capitol-riot-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per the Washington Examiner</a>. Kinzinger <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamKinzinger/status/1481024970826338307" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted in January</a>, roughly 10 days before Epps&#8217; interview with the panel, that Epps &#8220;didn’t enter the Capitol on Jan 6, and was removed from the most wanted list because apparently he broke no laws.&#8221;
When asked about his client being removed from the list so quickly, Epps&#8217; attorney John Blischack clarified that he believed that Epps “was removed shortly after he contacted the FBI and/or the FBI contacted me.”
Recordings released earlier this year to defense lawyers representing people who were charged in connection to the Capitol riot included further details about Epps, including the revelation that two days after the Capitol riot, Epps called an FBI tip line after seeing himself on a list of January 6 suspects, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/us/jan-6-ray-epps-evidence.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The New York Times</a>.
The report, citing sources who heard a recording of the call, said Epps explained to investigators what happened in another exchange captured on film, this one on January 6 just before the violence began at the U.S. Capitol, showing him whispering into the ear of another man at the barricades outside the building. Epps claimed he was trying to calm this person down and said that the police present were merely doing their jobs. The other man, identified as January 6 defendant Ryan Samsel, reportedly corroborated this account.
Ultimately Epps denied breaking the law. He testified to the January 6 Committee that he attended Trump&#8217;s rally at the Ellipse near the White House, where the former president <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fiT6c0MQ58" target="_blank" rel="noopener">encouraged people to march on the Capitol</a> to protest the 2020 election results, and then made his way to the Capitol along with others. There, Epps said he realized the Capitol was not open to the public and tried to de-escalate tension between the police and protesters when he witnessed the standoff.
“I just looked around, and I was sick. There was a lot of tear gas, a lot of bad stuff going on,” he testified.
Epps said he started to leave and offered aid to an individual having a medical emergency. Afterwards, Epps said, “I saw people crawling all over the Capitol, climbing the walls. It made me kind of ill to my stomach. I decided to go back to the — there was no point in going back. It had gone beyond to what I wanted it to be.&#8221;

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