Head of January 6 inquiry says he has ‘quite revealing’ info on members of Congress aiding US Capitol riot

Lawmakers are seeking more information from former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows

The head of the committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol said he has information that’s “quite revealing” about members of Congress playing an active role in facilitating the riot, which left five people dead and injured roughly 140 members of law enforcement. 

“The information we’ve received has been quite revealing about members of Congress involved in the activities of January 6 as well as staff,” said representative Bennie Thompson, the Democratic head of the inquiry, on Monday.

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The information came from the limited testimony of former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, and specific names and allegations will be revealed at a later date, the Mississippi congressman added.

On Monday night, the committee voted to hold Mr Meadows in contempt for failing to respond to some of their requests for information, questions he argues violate executive privilege.

Still, the information he did provide, including emails and text messages about 6 January, has shed new light on the role the White House, Republican lawmakers, and conservative media figures played a role in the events of that day.

Text messages capture a variety of conservatives trying to get the White House to call off MAGA supporters trying to breach the capital.

Donald Trump Jr asked the chief of staff to get the president to “condemn this s*** asap,” arguing, “He has to lead now. It has gone too far and gotten out of hand”

Fox News figures like Sean Hannity, Brian Kilmeade and Laura Ingraham reached out as well, with the latter writing to Mr Meadows, “The president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home … this is hurting all of us … he is destroying his legacy.”

Other messages, however, point to lawmakers and the White House discussing efforts to overturn the election result, as well as failing to act swiftly to stop the violence this campaign inspired.

Lawmakers want to question Mr Meadows about one exchange he had with an unnamed senator about whether lawmakers or the vice-president could replace or reject electors from states that went Democratic.

Mr Meadows wrote, according to the committee, that the president “thinks the legislators have the power, but the VP has power too.”

Another lawmaker told Mr Meadows they tried “everything we could in our objection” to the election results,” lamenting, “I’m sorry nothing worked.”

The inquiry is also looking into contacts Mr Meadows had with organisers of one of the rallies on January 6 that spilled into the riot. One protest leader reached out to the chief of staff in the midst of the chaos, writing, things “have gotten crazy and I desperately need some direction. Please.”

The Independent has reached out to Mr Meadows for comment.

The committee documents are the latest sign that members of Congress may have played more than just a symbolic role in the events of 6 January’s violent attempt to stop the election certification.

In October, Rolling Stone reported that two prominent January 6 protest organisers had met with nearly a “dozen” members of Congress and their staffs ahead of the riot to discuss their planned demonstrations, and were under the impression they might receive a “blanket pardon” if accused of any misconduct.