GOP threatens to release Jan. 5 footage — but obtaining it will cost them
by Rebecca Beitsch - 05/23/22 1:53 PM ET
House Republicans are threatening to release Capitol Police video taken on Jan. 5 in order to clear the name of a colleague accused of leading tours the day before the deadly riot – but they do not yet have the footage.
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol last week asked Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) to voluntarily speak with its investigators, saying they have reviewed footage showing the lawmaker showing visitors around the Capitol.
The accusation was a direct challenge to the GOP on the House Committee on Administration, of which Loudermilk is a member, who have long sought the release of the tapes to counter accusations that Republicans led reconnaissance tours in the Capitol ahead of the attack.
But following through on their threat will require a serious outlay of cash: the external hard drive they would need to store the hundreds of hours of footage could cost as much as $20,000.
“Committee Minority staff have reviewed all footage in question and have confirmed no ‘reconnaissance tours’ occurred,” Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) wrote in a Friday letter to the Capitol Police Board.
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https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/3498231-gop-threatens-to-release-jan-5-footage-but-obtaining-it-will-cost-them/
