The request marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation as the committee is now seeking cooperation from the top Republican in the House
The request marks a significant moment in the ongoing investigation as the committee is now seeking cooperation from the top Republican in the House.
“We also must learn about how the President’s plans for January 6th came together, and all the other ways he attempted to alter the results of the election,” wrote committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi. “For example, in advance of January 6th, you reportedly explained to Mark Meadows and the former President that objections to the certification of the electoral votes on January 6th ‘was doomed to fail.’ “
McCarthy’s office did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
McCarthy is the third Republican lawmaker whom the committee has requested cooperation from, following letters to Reps. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Jim Jordan of Ohio in recent weeks. Both Perry and Jordan have indicated they will not cooperate with the committee voluntarily, and CNN reported earlier Wednesday that even the panel is currently weighing its options to get members to comply.
At issue is determining a path that would give them the best opportunity to obtain the information and interviews they are looking for by using the powers of the committee at their disposal.
The committee is wrestling with whether they have the constitutional right to subpoena their fellow members, and if they do, if they have an enforcement mechanism in place that will ultimately lead to cooperation.
But Wednesday’s letter makes clear that the committee will continue to seek information from their fellow members even as they deliberate what to do if Republicans continue to resist their overtures.
This story has been updated with additional developments Wednesday.
