- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday that members of Congress could be prosecuted if an investigation showed they were complicit in the Capitol riots.
- “If they helped and incited crime, it may be necessary to take action beyond Congress in terms of prosecution for this,” Pelosi said during a news conference.
- Pelosi also pointed out a rowdy captured by the camera in a “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt, describing him as a “punk”.
- “To see this punk in that shirt and his anti-Semitism of which he boasted, to be part of an invasion of white supremacy in this Capitol, requires that we have a post-action review,” said Pelosi.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday that members of Congress could be prosecuted if an investigation shows that they collaborated on Capitol riots last week.
“If, in fact, it is found that members of Congress were complicit in this insurrection, if they helped and incited the crime, there may be actions taken beyond Congress in terms of prosecution for that,” said Pelosi during a news conference.
The California lawmaker’s warning came after some House Democrats said insiders, like members of Congress and police, may have helped carry out the attack.
New Jersey MP Mikie Sherrill suggested earlier this week that some lawmakers were accomplices in the siege. Although she did not mention any names, Sherrill said she saw members of Congress “who had groups passing by the Capitol, which I saw on January 5, for recognition the next day.”
Pelosi announced on Friday that he named Ret. Lieutenant General Russel Honoré to lead a security review on Capitol Hill.
“When we talk about security, we have to talk about truth and trust. To serve here with each other, we must trust that people have respect for the oath of office, respect for this institution, ”she said. “We must also have the truth, and it will be investigated.”
It has been more than a week since supporters of President Donald Trump violently invaded the Capitol building and forced Congress to close. The siege left five people, including a Capitol police officer, dead. The House accused Trump on Wednesday with the support of 10 House Republicans on a charge of inciting insurrection.
The FBI and the Justice Department said on Tuesday that they had launched an investigation into the incident and hope that the number of arrests “will reach hundreds”.
During his press conference, Pelosi highlighted a disorderly man widely captured on camera in a sweatshirt with the words “Camp Auschwitz”, a reference to Nazi Germany’s concentration camps that killed more than a million Jews. The rowdy, a 56-year-old man named Robert Keith Packer, was arrested on Wednesday.
“To see this punk in that shirt and his anti-Semitism of which he boasted, to be part of an invasion of white supremacy in this Capitol, requires that we have a post-action review,” said Pelosi, in order to “assign responsibility to those who participated in your organization and encouragement. “
The mayor also noted that there is “strong interest” from lawmakers in launching a 9/11 type commission to investigate last week’s violation.
Security measures on Capitol Hill were stepped up in preparation for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on January 20, when FBI officials warned of as much violence as possible.