Judicial Watch announced Friday that it filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Capitol Police seeking videos and internal emails surrounding the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit under the common law right of access to public records after the Capitol Police refused to provide any records in response to a January 21, 2021 request for:
- Email communications between the U.S. Capitol Police Executive Team and the Capitol Police Board concerning the security of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The timeframe of this request is from January 1, 2021 through January 10, 2021.
- Email communications of the Capitol Police Board with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security concerning the security of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The timeframe of this request is from January 1, 2021through January 10, 2021.
- All video footage from within the Capitol between 12 pm and 9 pm on January 6, 2021
Congress exempts itself from the Freedom of Information Act. In a strange move seeing as numerous organizations are investigating the origins of the riot, Capitol Police declined to produce any records about the riot to Judicial Watch. The police responded in a February 11, 2021, letter that the requested emails and videos are not “public records.”
“The public has a right to know about how Congress handled security and what all the videos show of the US Capitol riot,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “What are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer trying to hide from the American people?”
Numerous news outlets and legal organizations are seeking information that would shed light on specific individuals and organizations involved in organizing and fueling the unrest. Just over 300 people stormed into the Capitol while 150,000 others listened to a speech by President Donald Trump in which video of the event shows him encouraging people to “peacefully march” and “cheer on” Republicans in the hearings.
Democrats last week failed in their second attempt to impeach Trump when he was found not guilty in the U.S. Senate.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice