Thread by @weareoversight

Today, the House will vote on legislation that would create a select committee to investigate the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection.

Numerous questions remain about that day. Here’s what we still don’t know — and how we’re investigating. THREAD
americanoversight.org/open-questions…

1. White House Actions: How did the Trump White House respond to the attack and why was there a delay in authorizing the deployment of National Guard troops to assist at the Capitol?

While watching the events unfold, Pres. Trump reportedly took little action as the situation escalated. Two hours after the first barriers were breached, the White House released a video in which Trump told the rioters to “go home,” adding, “We love you. You’re very special.”

Some reporting indicates that Vice President Mike Pence, who was in the Capitol during the attack, took charge.

Meanwhile, there was a more than three-hour delay in the deployment of National Guard troops after Capitol Police first called for backup at 1:49 p.m.

Deputy Asst. Defense Sec. Robert Salesses testified before Congress that Army Sec. Ryan McCarthy received approval from acting Defense Sec. Christopher Miller at 4:32 p.m., but did not explain why D.C. guard commander Gen. William Walker wasn’t informed until 5:08.

To investigate, we sued the DOD and the Army for both agencies’ communications with Pence that day and for their communications with Trump and his chief of staff Mark Meadows.

We also sued multiple agencies for communications and call logs from Jan. 6.
americanoversight.org/document/ameri…

2. Intelligence and Law Enforcement Failures: The days and hours leading up to Jan. 6 also bear further scrutiny. Given how openly the attack was planned online, the failure of various intelligence agencies to anticipate the threat is a major concern.

Only the day before the attack, an FBI field office in Virginia had issued a warning about potential violence, but the report apparently never was run up the right channels.
washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

Recent reporting from ProPublica also suggests that top Trump aides knew in advance about the potential for violence.
propublica.org/article/new-de…

And according to a Senate report, the U.S. Capitol Police had intelligence two weeks in advance that indicated Trump supporters planned to stage an armed invasion of the building.
washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

We sent requests to the DOD, the Army, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, seeking any analysis about threats posed by protesters, militia groups, or domestic terrorists to the congressional certification of the election.

Did the relevant agencies issue or receive any directives regarding events at the Capitol or on the National Mall ahead of or during the events of Jan. 6? Did they consider the “Big Lie” a security threat?

Did the White House issue any instructions to the Pentagon in the leadup to Jan. 6 regarding the planned “Stop the Steal” rally that was attended by Trump, and the subsequent march to the Capitol?

The insurrection was a frightening demonstration of how the lies about voter fraud have ballooned into very real threats to our democracy. Those same lies are on display in the bogus recounts and the slew of new voting restrictions being unleashed across the country.

Nearly half a year after the deadly events of Jan. 6, Americans are still without answers to key questions about that day. Through our FOIA requests and litigation, we’ve been working to provide those answers. You can follow our investigation here:
americanoversight.org/investigation/…