GOP Rep. Who Gave a Tour Of The Capitol To Rioters Chosen To Lead Jan. 6 Subcommittee Investigation

House Republicans announced on Wednesday a new select subcommittee tasked with reinvestigating the January 6 riots in which Donald Trump supporters sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

It will be led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk, who has already conducted an investigation regarding the events, which are at odds with the findings of the original committee. Loudermilk was also under the spotlight during the investigation after it was revealed he gave a tour of the Capitol to a group of people on January 5. Some of them then took part in the riots.

Loudermilk initially denied giving the tour but backtracked after footage of him showing a group of people around House office buildings. He said he had only given a tour to families with young children but flipped again and said the tour was for 16 people. Back then tours were banned due to Covid-19 restrictions. A man can be seen taking pictures of tunnel entrances and police checkpoints.

Loudermilk has repeatedly called the Jan.6 events a "security failure" and criticized the House committee, saying it was politically biased. Following the announcement of the new subcommittee, Loudermilk said he is "honored to be tasked with continuing the investigation into the events surrounding January 6, 2021, and the failures that led to the breach of the United States Capitol."

"What happened at the Capitol that day was the result of a series of intelligence, security, and leadership failures at multiple levels within numerous entities. I appreciate Speaker Johnson's commitment to our work, and I am looking forward to working with Chairman Jim Jordan to continue to uncover all the facts and begin the arduous task of making needed reforms to ensure this level of security failure may never happen again," he added.

Loudermilk's report, published in mid-December, went after former Rep. Liz Cheney, the vice chairwoman of the committee and a fierce critic of Trump's after the riots. He concluded that Cheney "colluded with 'star witness' Cassidy Hutchinson" without her attorney's knowledge, recommending Cheney be investigated for criminal witness tampering.

Hutchinson, an aide to former chief of staff Mark Meadows, testified before the committee about what Trump and Meadows knew before the riots and how they reacted while it was taking place. She claimed there was a slow response from Meadows as well as threats to then-Vice President Mike Pence, and a lack of concern about the violence that threatened to ensue.

Loudermilk also concluded that "former Representative Liz Cheney used the January 6 Select Committee as a tool to attack President Trump, at the cost of investigative integrity and Capitol security," and that the committee itself was "improperly constituted and lacked authority." The report also claimed that the committee "neglected or withheld evidence from its Final Report and deleted voluminous records it should have preserved," and that "the Department of Defense scapegoated the Washington D.C. National Guard to distract blame from senior leadership.

The committee, in contrast, unanimously voted to refer Trump for criminal prosecution, marking a first in U.S. history. The committee recommended the DOJ file four charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and assisting, aiding or comforting an insurrection.