Topline
The Jan. 6th attack on Capitol was investigated by the House Select Committee. It sent letters to 35 telecommunications and email companies informing them to keep records of a wide range of people involved in the Capitol Riot and attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
UNITED STATES – JANUARY 6: Representative Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) speaks to Trump supporters at the... [+] Ellipse in Washington, Wednesday, January 6, 2021 as Congress prepares for certifying the electoral college votes. (Photo by Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images. CQ Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
The Key Facts
The letters were sent out to AT&T, Verizon Wireless, email companies like AOL and Proton Technologies, social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter and other tech giants like Amazon. The companies were asked to retain emails, call logs, and other data from Capitol riot defendants. This includes those who organized or spoke at rallies before the Jan. 6 attack, as well as those involved in discussions to overturn, delay, or interfere with the Electoral College certificate. This could be applicable to Trump allies, such as Reps. Mo Brooks (R.Ala.) or Madison Cawthorn(R.N.C.), which spoke at Stop The Steal rallies prior to the attack. But it could also apply to a larger group of lawmakers who supported electoral objections like Kevin McCarthy (House Minority Leader) and Steve Scalise (Minority Whip). These orders are yet another sign that the panel is expanding its scope to include not only the attack but also the baseless claims of election fraud and attempts to reverse election results. This latest order will place former President Donald Trump, his family members, advisors, and attorneys in jeopardy.
Important Background
The panel wrote last week to eight federal agencies asking for records about everything, from Trump's mental health to Trumps requests to agencies like the Department of Justice to back his efforts to reverse the election. The panel also wrote to 15 social media companies to request information about extremism and misinformation and the steps taken to combat them.
Big Number
138. This is the total number of House Republicans that voted to decertify Pennsylvanian electors after the chamber regrouped following Jan. 6's attack. There were also 7 Senate Republicans. After 126 House Republicans signed an amicus short in December supporting a Trump-backed lawsuit requesting the Supreme Court to reverse the presidential election results from four swing states that gave Biden the White House, the vote was taken.
Important Quote
We anticipate that the Select Committee will continue its work and deliver to you documents requests for specific types of information. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D.Miss.) urged you to immediately identify and preserve these documents. In each Monday letter, the chairperson of the committee stated that.
