During a Friday appearance on “CNN Newsroom,” Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) praised House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) announced an independent September 11-style commission to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
Leahy, who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump for inciting the group of rioters, said the commission “is a superb one.” He added the commission should “have subpoena power.”
“I sat through every second of that thing because I presided over the trial. I thought the case, the evidence, was overwhelming. Even some of those who voted not guilty said that they thought it was overwhelming, but it was a political decision,” Leahy advised. “Mitch McConnell probably explained best what happened. He voted not guilty and then gave a speech saying the president’s conduct was terrible and there was still going to be consequences … both in the criminal courts and the civil courts around the country. And I think there will be.”
He continued, “I think that this bipartisan commission that Speaker Pelosi wants to have is a superb one. And I think we should really rely on that. I’ve talked with her about it. It should have subpoena power, and we should be able to go forward.”
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