Jan. 6 select committee issues sweeping record request to federal agencies, executive branch
Chair Bennie Thompson and other members of the select committee speak to reporters. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
The Jan. 6 select committee announced on Wednesday a sweeping records request sent to the National Archives and seven federal agencies as it probes the events of the violent Capitol riot.
Driving the news: The move shows how expansive the investigation will be. The National Archives and Records Administration is where correspondence from the White House is kept.
- The seven executive branch agencies include the Department of Defense, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice.
- The requested records will seek to shed light on the events leading up to Jan. 6 and the day itself, including what intelligence was gathered and disseminated, security preparations around the Capitol, and the planning of events scheduled for Jan. 5 and 6, per the statement.
What they're saying: “The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is examining the facts, circumstances, and causes of the January 6th attack," Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) wrote in a letter to the National Archives.
The big picture: Earlier this week, Thompson said that the committee will ask telecommunications companies to turn over the phone records of several hundred people, including members of Congress.
- In late July, the committee held its first hearing, where officers who responded to the events of the day gave harrowing and emotional testimony.