Former Rep. Denver Riggleman has been appointed advisor by the Jan. 6 panel by House Democrats.Chair Thompson praised Riggleman for his "deep background" in intelligence and national security matters.From 2019 to 2021, Riggelman represented Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.10 Things in Politics: Get the latest news in politics and economics Loading... Click Sign up to receive marketing emails and other offers from Insider.According to a Friday announcement from the panel, House Democrats have chosen former GOP Rep. Denver Riggleman to be an advisor to the select commission investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot.Mississippi Democratic Chairman Bennie Thompson said Riggleman and Joseph Maher would be on the panel's senior staff.Thompson released a statement praising Riggleman's intelligence and national security background as an intelligence officer in US Air Force. He also credited them as "public servants" who understood how close the US democracy was to disaster on January 6th.He said, "I commend them for their commitment to helping ensure that we never see another day like that."Riggleman was elected in 2018 to the 5th Virginia congressional district. He was defeated by the GOP in a drive through primary election.He was defeated by Bob Good (now-Rep. ), a conservative social Democrat and staunch Trump ally, in the 2020 general elections.Continue reading: Jen Psaki's White House experience can make her richTrump's claim of a stolen election was criticized by the ex-congressionman, who called Trump's claims a "massive gaffe."Riggleman, in a Forbes interview in November, also attacked Republicans who refused to challenge Trump's unproven claims about his election victory.He said that GOP lawmakers who voted for the former president were "worried about committee assignments, but they're also worried about the team."Riggleman was removed from office days before Jan. 6, when the Capitol was broken into by pro-Trump rioters trying to prevent the certification of President Joe Biden's Electoral College win.Thompson thanked Rep. Liz Cheney, Wyoming, and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Illinois, for inviting Maher to the Jan. 6 panel.Last month, Cheney publicly endorsed Riggleman as someone who could be an important part of the committee's work.She said that Denver was "a tremendous choice." "Denver has years of experience in cyber issues, particularly in the areas that are most relevant to it." He would be an invaluable addition to the committee's work in terms of understanding and recognising the extent of social media platforms used, as well as the communications that took place in the period leading up to the 6th.
