Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) accused fellow members of congress of holding “reconnaissance” tours for the January 6 Capitol riots.
In a 13-minute stream via Facebook Live, New Jersey’s 11th district representative alleged unnamed colleagues “had groups coming through the Capitol” in “a reconnaissance for the next day.” She then announced her intent to ensure those individuals “are held accountable,” saying that she and some of her colleagues are “requesting an investigation right now with certain agencies.”
“Not only do I intend to see that the President is removed, and never runs for office again, and doesn’t have access to classified material,” Sherrill said:
I also intend to see that those members of Congress who abetted him … those members that incited this violent crowd, those members that attempted to help our President undermine our democracy — I’m going to see that they are held accountable, and, if necessary, ensure that they don’t serve in Congress.
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) also refrained from identifying anyone associated with the accusations, saying only that he had heard a “couple” of names associated. “I’m going to wait to make sure we get verification — [I] don’t want to throw any member under the bus,” he said. “This has been passed on … as early as Wednesday night, Thursday morning last week.
The U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump for a second time on Wednesday, making the 45th President the first to have ever been impeached twice. The 231-197 majority included ten Republican members of congress. Before the impeachment vote concluded, Trump urged his supporters to back down.
“In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking, and NO vandalism of any kind,” the president said in a statement. “That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for,” he added. “I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers.”