The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol asked 35 telecommunications and social media companies Monday to retain phone records and other information relevant to its inquiry as the panel ramps up its investigation ahead of the return of Congress next month.
Support our journalism. Subscribe today. arrow-right
That list was expected to include phones used by some members of Congress, a person familiar with the request, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the investigation, said Friday. Committee spokesman Tim Mulvey on Monday declined to say which individuals were included in the request out of respect for their privacy.
“The Select Committee is at this point gathering facts, not alleging wrongdoing by any individual,” Mulvey said in a statement.
Story continues below advertisement
Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) recently said his panel would not shy away from investigating lawmakers as part of its inquiry, highlighting the remarkable nature of Congress investigating an attack on itself.
Advertisement
The committee’s plans have already drawn criticism from Republicans, most of whom have opposed investigating the insurrection and former president Donald Trump’s role in inspiring the mob with his false claims about Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election.
The request that went out Monday was sent to tech and social media companies including Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter and Signal, as well as telecommunications companies such as Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile.
Story continues below advertisement
The panel is asking the 35 companies to preserve “metadata, subscriber information, technical usage information, and content of communications for the listed individuals.”
In its letters to the companies, the committee asked for the preservation of material from individuals who were “involved in organizing, funding, or speaking” at January’s “Stop The Steal” rallies, as well as individuals who were “potentially involved with discussions of plans to challenge, delay, or interfere” with the electoral certification process.
Advertisement
News of the request was first reported by CNN.
The committee has now made three requests for information this month as it ramps up its investigation. The panel released its first request for information Aug. 25, issuing sweeping demands for records from federal agencies pertaining to the attack on the Capitol and Trump’s efforts to subvert the election.
Story continues below advertisement
In the letters asking for materials from the National Archives and seven other agencies, the committee signaled that an expansive investigation is underway, touching not only on what happened Jan. 6 but also on matters such as “the former president’s knowledge of the election results and what he communicated to the American people about the election.” The committee also asked the archivist for records of communication within the White House with “any Member of Congress or congressional staff” on Jan. 6
Advertisement
On Friday, it asked technology companies — including Facebook, Twitter and Google — for “all reviews, studies, reports, data, analyses, and communications” regarding misinformation generated by foreign and U.S. actors, “domestic violent extremists” associated with the attack, and other efforts to overturn the election results.
In addition, the committee said it is focusing on how social media companies policed their own platforms, such as whether their algorithms helped speed the spread of misinformation, how they identified which posts to take down and what information has already been requested by law enforcement agencies.
Story continues below advertisement
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, sent a letter to Thompson on Friday arguing that the panel does not have the authority to request the lawmakers’ communication records, describing them as “private affairs.”
Advertisement
In the letter, which Banks also sent to the Federal Communications Commission and telecom and tech firms, he contended that Congress “may not issue a subpoena for the purpose of law enforcement” and that “the information you seek has no conceivable legislative purpose.”
“It is a desperate partisan act that would only further reveal the political nature of the Select Committee,” wrote Banks, who voted to overturn Biden’s win in last year’s presidential election and whose appointment to the Jan. 6 panel was blocked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) last month.