House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he will not cooperate with a request from the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected some of his picks to serve on the panel, CNN reported Wednesday night
“As a representative and the leader of the minority party, it is with neither regret nor satisfaction that I have concluded to not participate with this select committee’s abuse of power that stains this institution today and will harm it going forward,” McCarthy said in a statement, according to the news network.
McCarthy said that the committee “is not conducting a legitimate investigation,” and claimed that it “is not serving any legislative purpose” citing Pelosis’ rejection of GOP Reps. Jim Jordan and Jim Banks, who would sabotage the investigation.
The statement from McCarthy comes hours after the panel asked the California Republican to voluntarily provide information, including details about former President Donald Trump’s state of mind during the Capitol attack and in the weeks after.
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The committee’s request to McCarthy, detailed in a new letter released Wednesday, marks a significant moment in the ongoing investigation as the Jan 6 panel is now looking into GOP lawmakers who may have more information about what happened that day.
Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said that the committee does not currently have phone records from McCarthy or anything other than his public statements, and the decision of whether the panel will ask the minority leader to turn over documents is “to be determined.”
Asked whether the panel would subpoena McCarthy if he refuses to accept its voluntary request, Thompson said, “We’ll consider it.”
