The Republican National Committee (RNC) is so desperate to block the House Select Committee from obtaining RNC records pertaining to January 6th that they are now arguing that Congress can’t investigate an attack on itself.
The committee is due to start receiving records from Salesforce, a vendor used by the RNC to pass messages about the events on January 6th, lies about the 2020 Election, and money, which may further implicate Republicans and Donald Trump in the Capitol insurrection. Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overthrow democracy and keep Trump in power. The Salesforce records could very well be evidence against the ringleaders of the coup attempt.
Barring an unlikely ruling from a federal judge blocking the subpoena the committee issued earlier this month, the documents are set to be handed over on Wednesday. But now the RNC is trying to keep the documents hidden by arguing that Congress does not have the power to investigate an attack on Congress.
Seriously.
The RNC is arguing that only the executive branch and law enforcement can investigate the Capitol insurrection.
UPDATE: The RNC in another filing tonight makes the pretty remarkable claim that Congress has no role investigating an attack on … Congress.https://t.co/yOhc0Ksx0W pic.twitter.com/QqUFi5NpzU
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) March 16, 2022
Of course, law enforcement is already investigating and the Justice Department is probing it as well. But Congress does have the power to investigate an attack on itself. The judicial branch would be unwise to block the legislative branch from conducting this crucial investigation, which has already dug up plenty of damning information thus far.
Twitter users, including a legal expert, were not impressed and noted that the argument smacks of desperation.
How dare Congress investigate an attack on Congress! How desperate is the RNC? Sad. https://t.co/Q7bDgBNfkM
— NeoOstracon🇺🇦 (@cgbrown1) March 16, 2022
The idea that Congress can’t investigate an attack on the Capitol is simply ridiculous. I don’t have any take on the rest of this RNC filing except to note the select cmte has a good record in court so far.
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) March 16, 2022
The RNC isn’t even involve because the 1/6 rally wasn’t a campaign event. Cash was solicited for an event that was clearly intended to disrupt congress. Congress has every right to find out who funded it. The RNC’s complaint is as silly as it is baseless.https://t.co/MxkYkgYbKc pic.twitter.com/MQZtWVYxh6
— Larry Middleton – Democracy Forward in 2022! (@l78lancer) March 10, 2022
My take on arguments like this is that someone at the Republican National Committee is pretty desperate to prevent further investigation of people/entities involved in Jan 6. The Cmte has been pretty effective at getting to the heart of things so far. https://t.co/YstG2YM9N8
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) March 16, 2022
The committee should be able to continue investigating, but Americans should want the DOJ to step up their own investigation of the insurrection. After all, that’s what the RNC apparently wants.
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