House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Democrat-majority Congress seeks to keep 14,000 hours of January 6 security footage from public view using claims of “sovereign immunity”, transparency watchdog Judicial Watch revealed.
Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against U.S. Capitol Police over their refusal to provide any records in response to a prior request made on January 21, 2021 seeking email communications between Capitol Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) concerning Capitol security on and around January 6 — including “all video footage from within the Capital between 12 pm and 9 pm” on the day of the riot.
As Congress is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Judicial Watch sued them under “common law right of access to public records,” detailing Supreme Court and other precedent that highlights the American people’s right to know what their government is doing.
COVER-UP: Pelosi Congress claiming "sovereign immunity" in federal court to hide 14,000 hours of January 6 videos and hundreds of emails. Also says they aren't public records and there's no public interest in their release! https://t.co/xts0j4Xb6f pic.twitter.com/FAJqDwPgbh
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) November 5, 2022
“The Pelosi Congress (and its police department) is telling a federal court it is immune from all transparency under law and is trying to hide every second of its January 6 videos and countless emails,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
“The hypocrisy is rich,” Fitton charged, “as this is the same Congress that is trying to jail witnesses who, citing privileges, object to providing documents to the Pelosi rump January 6 committee.”
Judicial Watch first gained fame and acclaim among conservatives in the 1990s, when it secured major wins against President Bill Clinton and generally beleaguered his administration.
Some have speculated that the hidden security footage may reveal actions taken by potentially undercover federal assets, who have been suspected of embedding themselves within the protesting crowds and encouraging, animating, or outright participating in violence that day.
BREAKING: @DarrenJBeattie of Revolver News breaks down the involvement of FBI operatives who organized and participated in the January 6th Capitol riot. pic.twitter.com/t1UOnT5zgc
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) June 16, 2021
The prospect of undercover federal involvement in the riots was originally spearheaded by Revolver News’ Darren Beattie, whose in depth reporting on individuals such as Ray Epps revealed a “massive web of unindicted operators at the heart of January 6.”
The revelations prompted a select group of House Republicans to push for investigations into the FBI and other agencies over their likely role in what could be viewed as a federal sabotage of the peaceful election protest, and for the cessation of what has been described as the indefinite detainment of American citizens in Joe Biden’s Washington, D.C. “Gulag” who were “entrapped” in the plot.
“These are not hardened thugs, murderers, or gang members with long histories of crimes,” Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) said in December 2021 during a press conference. “These are not unruly or dangerous, violent criminals. These are dads, brothers, veterans, teachers. All political prisoners who continue to be persecuted endure the pain of unjust suffering.”
.@RepGosar's Full Remarks On The Horrible Treatment Of January 6th Defendants
"What is being described by these political prisoners is nothing short of human rights violations. The silence from the ACLU & Amnesty International is deafening." pic.twitter.com/Bt2NTMJ5Bi
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) December 7, 2021
“Why won’t you publicly release the hours and hours of video surveillance taken on January 6th? What are you afraid of? What are you hiding?” Gosar asked.
“The heart of this country is equal treatment, especially by the courts. The public demands and the defendants deserve equal justice under the law. What is being described by these political prisoners is nothing short of human rights violations. The silence from the ACLU & Amnesty International is deafening.”
