House GOP Targets Liz Cheney Over Jan. 6 Investigation

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House GOP Targets Liz Cheney Over Jan. 6 Investigation \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ House Republicans released a 128-page report targeting former Rep. Liz Cheney, accusing her of witness tampering and recommending her prosecution for her role in the Jan. 6 investigation. The findings absolve Trump of responsibility while reviving GOP narratives around security failures during the Capitol riot. Cheney has fiercely defended the committee’s work, calling the accusations fabricated and reaffirming Trump’s role in inciting the attack.

House GOP vs. Liz Cheney: Jan. 6 Quick Looks

House Republicans released a report recommending Liz Cheney be investigated for witness tampering.
The report accuses Cheney of improperly working with star witness Cassidy Hutchinson.
Cheney refuted the findings, defending the Jan. 6 committee’s 900-page report from 2022.
Trump renews calls to punish political adversaries, including members of the Jan. 6 committee.
The GOP report revisits security lapses and criticizes the delayed National Guard response.
Critics argue the report attempts to rewrite history, shifting blame from Trump to others.

Deep Look

House Republicans have escalated their efforts to reshape the narrative surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, releasing a 128-page interim report that focuses on former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney. The report, led by House Administration Committee Chairman Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), accuses Cheney of witness tampering during her role as vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee and recommends federal prosecution. It also reiterates Republican claims absolving Donald Trump of blame for the attack and redirects scrutiny toward security failures and the conduct of the House Select Committee.

Cheney’s Role Under Fire

The findings mark the latest chapter in Cheney’s contentious relationship with the GOP. Once a rising star in the party, Cheney broke ranks by voting to impeach Trump for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 riot. Her opposition to Trump’s leadership led to her removal from GOP House leadership and her eventual primary defeat to a Trump-backed challenger in Wyoming.

Central to the report’s allegations is Cheney’s interaction with Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide who emerged as a key witness during the Jan. 6 hearings. Initially hesitant to cooperate fully, Hutchinson returned to testify in a high-profile hearing in 2022, delivering damning details about Trump’s actions as the Capitol riot unfolded. Hutchinson described Trump’s anger, refusal to intervene, and insistence that the crowd, which included armed supporters, be allowed to march to the Capitol.

The report accuses Cheney of improperly working with Hutchinson, framing it as witness tampering and a violation of federal laws. “Numerous federal laws were likely broken by Liz Cheney,” the committee wrote, urging the FBI to investigate her actions.

Cheney’s Defiant Response

Cheney responded forcefully to the allegations, condemning the report as partisan and an attempt to distort the truth. She reiterated that the Jan. 6 committee’s exhaustive investigation, culminating in a 900-page report released in December 2022, provided overwhelming evidence of Trump’s responsibility for the Capitol attack.

“January 6th showed Donald Trump for who he really is – a cruel and vindictive man who allowed violent attacks to continue against our Capitol and law enforcement officers while he watched television and refused for hours to instruct his supporters to stand down,” Cheney said in a statement.

She further accused Loudermilk’s report of fabricating defamatory claims to cover up Trump’s conduct. “Chairman Loudermilk’s ‘Interim Report’ intentionally disregards the truth and the tremendous weight of evidence.”

Trump’s Retribution Agenda

The report aligns with Trump’s ongoing calls for retribution against political opponents. Trump has repeatedly vowed to prosecute those he views as responsible for investigating his role in the Capitol riot, including Cheney, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and DOJ special counsel Jack Smith. Trump also renewed his promise to pardon individuals convicted for their roles in the Capitol attack, framing them as victims of political persecution.

As Trump campaigns for a return to the presidency, his allies are reportedly preparing to fill key positions in his administration to help him execute this vision. Names floated include Kash Patel, who could head the FBI, reflecting Trump’s desire for loyalists in top government positions.

Security Failures Revisited

While targeting Cheney, the GOP report also revisits longstanding Republican arguments about security failures on Jan. 6. It highlights the delayed deployment of the National Guard, which, alongside additional police reinforcements, ultimately restored order to the Capitol by nightfall. Republicans have long blamed former Speaker Nancy Pelosi for alleged missteps, even as Democrats and security officials have provided evidence that Trump’s inaction and resistance delayed a coordinated response.

Loudermilk writes in the report’s introduction, “The Capitol is no safer today,” adding that there were “multiple contributing factors” to the attack. However, the report focuses disproportionately on the conduct of the Jan. 6 committee, particularly Cheney and Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).

Thompson dismissed the report as baseless and an attempt to rewrite history. “There’s no escaping the reality that Donald Trump bears the responsibility for the deadly January 6th attack no matter how much Mr. Loudermilk would love to rewrite history,” Thompson said.

The Political Landscape Ahead

The release of the GOP report comes at a pivotal moment as Congress prepares for the 2024 election. Unlike 2020, when Republicans contested Joe Biden’s victory and echoed unproven claims of widespread voter fraud, Democrats insist they will respect the results of the upcoming election. Nevertheless, the Republican Party remains deeply aligned with Trump, signaling further divisions as the election approaches.

The report’s findings have drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and some Republicans who argue that the focus on Cheney is a politically motivated attempt to absolve Trump of responsibility. Cheney’s critics within the GOP, however, view the report as a step toward accountability for what they claim were partisan overreaches by the Jan. 6 committee.

As Trump continues to dominate the Republican agenda, questions remain about how his calls for retribution, including prosecuting political opponents and pardoning convicted rioters, will influence the political climate moving forward.