By Todd Lassa
When the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol–its formal name–issued subpoenas to House of Representatives Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and four other GOP representatives earlier this month, the response from Republican leadership was familiar: It’s pure politics, an attempt to staunch the coming GOP takeover of Congress in the November midterm elections.
Republicans have made it clear that after it wins a House majority in the midterms, it will turn the tables and ramp up an investigation of President Biden’s son, Hunter, and his business dealings. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) told the New York Post in March, “We will subpoena Hunter Biden.” Last year, Stefanik replaced Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) after McCarthy removed Cheney for becoming the ranking GOP member of two on the 1/6 panel.
McCarthy and his four colleagues in the House, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Mo Brooks of Alabama, are expected to be no-shows for their House Select panel testimony scheduled through the end of the month. Democrats, as well as post-Trump and never-Trump Republicans fear, counter to the charges of the panel’s partisanship, that there will be no consequences for the former president before the November 8 midterms.
Too little, too late, say pols and pundits who want to see action taken against Trump administration officials and associates, and against the former president himself for his alleged role in instigating and organizing the brutal attack on the Capitol to overturn the 2020 presidential election. They were given some hope Tuesday when The New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources, that the Justice Department has asked the January 6 House panel for transcripts of more than 1,000 interviews conducted privately, including questioning of Trump’s associates or former associates.
The request points to “further evidence of the wide-ranging nature” of the House panel’s investigations, the NYT says. But Trump critics who want accountability for the 1/6 attacks believe Attorney Gen. Merrick Garland has dragged his heels in enforcing the panel’s contempt charges of those who refuse to testify.
The 1/6 panel has subpoenaed Biggs and Perry for May 26, Jordan for May 27 and McCarthy and Brooks for May 27, but it seems likely they will join the likes of Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former adviser Steve Bannon as no-shows. Chairman Thompson has scheduled public hearings to begin June 9.
What can we expect of the 1/6 House Select committee? Contributing pundit Ken Zino comments in the left column. Contributing pundit R.J. Caster and pundit-at-large Stephen Macaulay offer their thoughts in the right column.
Whether you are liberal, conservative never-Trumper, or conservative pro-MAGA, we want to hear from you. Enter your opinion in the comment section or email editors@thehustings.news and tell us whether you consider yourself “left” or “right.” (THU 5/19/22)