Rep. Mo Brooks may be finished with Jan. 6, but Jan.6 isn't over with him.Alabama's representative, who is well-known for his speaking role in the Jan. 6 rally that led up to the invasion, was not present Tuesday's hearing of the House select panel investigating the invasion.He told me Wednesday that I was in the House Armed Services Committee, Science, Space, Technology Committee, had at least one Zoom meeting, as well as many other things, when I met him outside the House chamber. It was a busy day.AdvertisementHe stated that the purpose of this committee is not to find out the truth. Its purpose is to produce political propaganda for use in the 2022 and possibly 2024 elections.AdvertisementAdvertisementHe may not be able to keep the committee out of his life.Brooks, a House Republican, was the first to object to certain state electors in December. He then delivered a passionate speech to President Donald Trump's rally at Ellipse on Jan. 6.AdvertisementSubscribe to the Slatest Newsletter Get a daily email update with the latest stories. Signing you up was not possible due to an error Please try again. To use this form, please enable jаvascript. Email address: I would like to receive updates on Slate special offers. You agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms by signing up. Thank you for signing up! You can cancel your subscription at any time.Brooks support for Trump's efforts to reverse the election earned him the endorsement of the former president in the 2022 Alabama Senate race. It also caused him legal problems. California Rep. Eric Swalwell sued Brooks, and other defendants earlier this year for inciting the Jan. 6 riot. Brooks' request to be shielded from the lawsuit was denied by the Justice Department this week. This was partly because he had admitted that he was thinking about winning election and not doing his job when he started his rally chant. Brooks claims that the hearings before the select committee are a political stunt. However, the committee could ask Brooks to be questioned about his knowledge or lack thereof prior to the riot.AdvertisementAdvertisementHe said that he didn't know if he could be subpoenaed.Brooks believes that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office was not doing a better job in regards to Capitol Police preparation and performance.To prove his point about preparation, I was then told a new fact by him: Due to a tip about possible violence, he had been wearing body armor to the Ellipse speech, in which he encouraged rally participants to take down names and kick ass.He warned me Monday that there could be risk in the coming days. As a result, I didn't go to my condo. Instead, I slept on my office floor. When I delivered my speech at The Ellipse, I was wearing armored body.AdvertisementHe said that I was wearing a windbreaker because it was nice and practical. To protect the body armor.He did not say who warned him or what the risk had been. There were likely to be a dozen different reasons that people could have for insurrection. He cited, for instance, financial losses resulting from the government's reaction to COVID-19. Another example is the belief in significant voter fraud and election theft, as well as a deep love and respect for Donald Trump.AdvertisementHe suggested that it could be possible, too, that some were militant anarchists who saw this as an opportunity for infiltrating peaceful protests and turning them into riots.AdvertisementBrooks' affidavit to the Justice Department asking for protection from liability highlights the parts of Brooks speech that he encouraged peaceful protest and not violence. Brooks does not call for physical attacks on the Capitol as a footnote would suggest. Brooks asks Ellipse Speech attendees not to attack the Capitol.If he was certain that the mob would understand his peaceful intentions, then why did he need the Kevlar.
