A new select subcommittee led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., and established under the House Judiciary Committee, will intensify congressional efforts to uncover key details about the January 6, 2021, protest at the U.S. Capitol. This includes examining the presence of FBI informants in the crowd, the placement of pipe bombs at party offices, alleged FBI misconduct, and continuing its probe into the January 6th Committee.
The subcommittee will continue investigative work begun in the previous Congress, according to sources familiar with the plan. Loudermilk previously chaired the House Administration Oversight Subcommittee, which spearheaded efforts to release 40,000 hours of January 6 security footage, exposed suppressed interviews, and referred former Rep. Liz Cheney for prosecution over allegations of witness tampering. Cheney, who led the previous January 6 committee at the behest of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, reportedly influenced testimony from star witness Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Trump aide. Hutchinson’s testimony shifted dramatically after alleged covert communications with Cheney.
Loudermilk’s previous efforts unearthed critical testimony that the Cheney-led committee reportedly suppressed. One example involved a January 2022 interview with Deputy Chief of Staff Anthony Ornato, who testified that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows had urged Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser to request National Guard troops to secure the city ahead of January 6. Ornato also stated that President Trump had recommended deploying 10,000 National Guard troops to maintain order. Despite Cheney’s public claims that there was “no evidence” of such discussions, the interview transcript provided direct confirmation.
The committee also faced accusations of mischaracterizing and suppressing testimony. Ornato described White House frustration with Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller’s delayed deployment of the National Guard on January 6. Instead of sharing the full transcript, the committee reportedly circulated critical stories about Ornato before follow-up interviews.
One of the most contentious moments of the January 6 committee’s hearings involved Hutchinson’s claim that Trump lunged for the steering wheel of his vehicle to force his Secret Service detail to drive him to the Capitol. However, the vehicle’s driver, a Secret Service agent, testified that Trump did not grab or reach for the steering wheel, contradicting Hutchinson’s account. Cheney’s committee did not release this testimony, according to Loudermilk.
The new subcommittee will also examine FBI involvement in the January 6 events, including the agency’s role in the deployment of informants and its handling of investigations into pipe bombs discovered at party offices. Funding and the subcommittee’s structure are still being finalized, with authorizing language expected within the next two weeks.
