Thirty-four House Democrats have written a letter to the acting sergeants at arms for both chambers asking for “an immediate investigation into the suspicious behavior and access given to visitors to the Capitol Complex” the day before the January 6 insurgency.
“Many of the Members who signed this letter, including those of us who have served in the military and are trained to recognize suspicious activity, as well as various members of our staff, witnessed an extremely high number of outside groups in the complex on Tuesday, January 5. This is unusual for several reasons, including the fact that access to the Capitol Complex has been restricted since public tours ended in March of last year due to the pandemic.”
This letter follows on earlier statements from veteran—and veteran prosecutor—Rep. Mikie Sherrill who stated on Tuesday that she witnessed Republican members of Congress leading would-be insurgents on a “reconnaissance” of the Capitol. Sherrill is the first name on the list of those requesting the investigation.
The letter also notes that the tours on January 5 were so unusual that they were reported to the sergeant of arms at that time, and that those groups “could only have gained access to the Capitol Complex from a Member of Congress or a member of their staff.”
The letter asks a series of questions about the logbooks of the Capitol, including whether or not they are recorded into a database, and whether the security staff enforces rules requiring members to sign in parties of guests. Notably, the letter also inquires about video logs. There are clearly security cameras in parts of the building. If members of Congress or their staff did lead some of those who conducted the insurrection the following day through areas of the Capitol not usually accessed by visitors, those visits may well be recorded.
Which leads to the last of the eight questions on the letter:
“Are any of the individuals recorded in the Capitol complex on January 5 being investigated for their role in the insurrection the following day?”
Also on the list of those who signed are Pramila Jayapal, who tested positive for COVID-19 this week after being forced to shelter with Republicans who refused to wear masks.
