A Republican lawmaker targeted by the now-defunct Jan. 6 Committee said on Jan. 8 that he was interested in joining a proposed probe of those same investigators.
The Jan. 6 panel, formed in 2021 under the guiding hand of then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was almost entirely constituted of Democrats. Only two Republicans, Ranking Member Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)—both vocal critics of President Donald Trump and the populist movement he brought into being—sat on the panel.
Over the course of nearly a dozen hearings, the panel attempted to prove its case that the breakdown of order at the Jan. 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” rally was the culmination of a months-long plot by Trump and his allies to overthrow the U.S. government.
In his appearance on ABC, Perry said that he doesn’t consider there to be any conflict of interest in his participating in Republicans’ Jan. 6, 2021, investigations.
“Why should I be limited just because someone has made an accusation? Everybody in America is innocent until proven guilty,” Perry said.
Pushed further by anchor George Stephanopoulos on whether this would entail a conflict of interest, Perry retorted: “So, should everybody in Congress that disagrees with somebody be barred from doing the oversight and investigative powers that Congress has? That’s our charge.
“And again, that’s appropriate for every single member regardless of what accusations that are being made.
“I get accused of all kinds of things every single day, as does every member that serves in the public eye. But that doesn’t stop you from doing your job. It is our duty and it is my duty.”
Republicans have several potential lines of inquiry to explore now that they’ve taken the gavel.
For instance, newly elected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other House Republican leaders have promised an investigation into the role played by Pelosi and her appointees in leaving the Capitol unprepared ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, rally. Evidence shows that on several occasions in the lead-up to the rally, then-Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund asked for National Guard assistance; on each occasion, the House Sergeant-at-Arms—a Pelosi appointee—demurred or refused the requests.
During the first round of Jan. 6 hearings, panel Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) made clear that Pelosi was off-limits for the investigation—Republicans, however, have made clear that they have no such compunctions against probing Pelosi’s role.
Another potential probe could be made into the FBI and DOJ’s handling of the investigation of the unknown assailant who placed pipe bombs in front of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters on Jan. 5, 2021.
At one point, then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was even in the DNC building, placing her meters from the undetonated explosives.
Republicans could also investigate what role, if any, the FBI played in the events of that day.
Suspicion of the FBI ramped up among Republicans after Jill Sanborn, the executive assistant director for the national security branch of the FBI, refused to disavow agency involvement at the rally.
In December 2021, Perry became one of a handful of GOP lawmakers to receive a request for documents and testimony from the panel, which had almost no Republican voices. Others called by the panel included Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and then-House Minority Leader McCarthy.
Later, the DOJ also opened a probe into Perry.
The investigation of Perry centers around whether Perry committed criminal acts in assisting Trump’s efforts to throw out certain electoral slates amid allegations of voter fraud.
Ultimately, Perry’s committee assignments will be up to McCarthy, the new speaker of the House. It remains to be seen whether McCarthy will approve Perry’s aspiration to join the upcoming GOP Jan. 6, 2021, investigations.
