Over 30 former lawmakers demand ethics investigation of members of Congress with ties to Jan. 6
Ryan King
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Dozens of former House lawmakers are calling for an Office of Congressional Ethics review of sitting members of Congress who “played a role” in the Capitol riot and are demanding accountability.
Without providing specific names of who deserves scrutiny, over 30 former members of Congress representing both parties implored sitting members to nudge the OCE into initiating an ethics inquiry and to consider utilizing “disciplinary functions” if necessary, according to an open letter obtained by the Hill.
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“As is now clear, January 6th was only one event among many that together constituted an extraordinary campaign to overturn an election. … Among the most alarming findings is that various members of Congress participated in it,” the letter read. “We also now know that various sitting lawmakers sought presidential pardons.”
The OCE is an independent watchdog that examines congressional conduct and typically refers matters it deems worthy to the House Committee on Ethics, which then weighs disciplinary measures.
During a June hearing, the Jan. 6 committee claimed that six House Republicans contacted officials about securing a pardon for efforts to challenge the 2020 election — some of whom subsequently cast doubt on that. The six lawmakers included Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Mo Brooks (R-AL), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Scott Perry (R-PA), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
This week, text messages surfaced in which Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) texted former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Jan. 17, 2021, that “Our LAST HOPE is invoking Marshall Law,” referencing martial law. Other House Republicans had made similar machinations on ways to overturn former President Donald Trump’s election loss.
“These lawmakers stopped short of storming the Capitol themselves. But they shared a common goal with those who did: to prevent the lawful transfer of power for the first time in the Republic’s history. As with those who stormed the Capitol, they must be held accountable,” read the former lawmakers’ letter.
On Monday, the Jan. 6 committee is expected to vote on whether to issue criminal referrals to the Justice Department. Such referrals are nonbinding, and it will ultimately be up to the DOJ whether to move forward with criminal charges. Among those reportedly being considered for referrals are Trump, Meadows, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, attorney John Eastman, and onetime DOJ official Jeffrey Clark.
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Committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said that five of his Republican colleagues who spurned subpoena demands from the committee could also face a referral to the House Committee on Ethics. Those five members include Perry, Biggs, Brooks, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).
By next Wednesday, the committee is expected to release its full final report online.
Some of the signatories on the open letter include former Reps. Steve Israel (D-NY), Mary Jo Kilroy (D-OH), John Barrow (D-GA), Tom Coleman (R-MO), Claudine Schneider (R-RI), and Joe Walsh (R-IL). The letter is set to be posted on Medium Saturday, according to the Hill.