Former President Donald Trump isn’t the only Republican target of the House January 6 Committee, with the panel recommending House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA.) for a formal ethics inquiry and other Republican lawmakers who refused to cooperate to with the panel.
The panel’s recommendations are a departure from the harsher referrals made for former President Donald Trump and several of those within his inner circle.
Though the referral isn’t as weighty as the criminal referrals, the ethics complaint will throw McCarthy and others — a group that consists of Republican Reps. Andy Biggs (Arizona), Jim Jordan (Ohio), and Scott Perry (Pa.) — actions leading to and on January 6 into the spotlight.
The actions likely to be highlighted include Jordan attending a meeting with Trump in the White House about planning the events of January 6 and, in the case of McCarthy, having a conversation with Trump while the riot was ongoing.
Initially, the panel had requested McCarthy and the other three Republican lawmakers appear before the Committee voluntarily. Still, when that request fell on dead ears, the board issued subpoenas to attain their testimony.
McCarthy and the others justified their refusal to comply with the inquest by asserting the Committee was a witch hunt orchestrated by the former President’s political adversaries, namely House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA.).
However, it isn’t clear if the Ethics Committee will pursue the recommendations, as its composition isn’t dependent on which party is in power, as it’s evenly split among both parties.
