AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
- Kinzinger would back issuing subpoenas to compel individuals to testify before the Jan. 6 panel.
- “I would expect to see a significant number of subpoenas for a lot of people,” he said on Sunday.
- The congressman said that Trump may not be called to testify, expressing that testimony from individuals in his orbit may suffice.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger on Sunday signaled that he would support using subpoenas “for a lot of people” to bring them to testify in front of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
During an interview on ABC’s “This Week” with co-anchor Jonathan Karl, the Illinois Republican said he was committed to conducting an exhaustive probe.
“I think this is … the shot we have as a country to get answers to what led up to it, what really happened and what happened in the aftermath,” he said. “I would expect to see a significant number of subpoenas for a lot of people. But I think the bigger thing is just what is the message that’s going to come out this, is that the American people deserve the truth.”
He added: “It’s going to be a thorough investigation, that’s for sure.”
Last week, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Kinzinger to the committee, joining Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming as the only other Republican on the panel.
Kinzinger and Cheney were among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump in January for “incitement of insurrection” over his role in the riot.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy initially picked a slate of Republicans for the committee, which included Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio, but after Pelosi rejected the two congressmen, the California Republican pulled every Republican member from the committee.
During the interview, Kinzinger wouldn’t say who the committee might subpoena, only pledging to search for answers.
-This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 1, 2021
“We want to do this expeditiously,” he said. “We don’t want to drag this out. … What led up to it, what really happened and what happened in the aftermath.”
When asked if Republicans like McCarthy or Jordan might be subpoenaed due to their conversations with Trump on Jan. 6, Kinzinger simply committed to finding out what happened on that day.
“I would support subpoenas to anybody that can shed light on that,” he said. “If that’s the leader that’s the leader. If it’s anybody that talked to the president that can provide us that information, I want to know what the president was doing every moment of that day.”
He added: “I want to know if the National Guard took five or six hours to get to Capitol Hill. Did the president make calls? If he didn’t, why?”
Kinzinger said that those interested in the truth should support the committee’s impending work.
“If anybody is scared of this investigation, I ask you, what are you afraid of? If you think it wasn’t a big deal, you should allow this to go forward,” he said.
When asked if the panel might subpoena Trump, the congressman was noncommittal.
“We may not have to talk to Donald Trump. … If he has unique information, that’s one thing. But I think there’s a lot of people around him that knew some things,” he said.
Kinzinger also criticized statements made last week by Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, who replaced Cheney as House Republican Conference Chair, where the congresswoman blamed Pelosi for the attack.
“To me it’s mind-blowing and shows the desperation to derail this,” he said. “The speaker and I don’t get along on a lot of things. On this, we do. … Blaming what happened on Jan. 6 on the security posture, that’s like blaming someone for being a victim of crime. It’s insane.”
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