January 6 Committee Tightens the Screws Despite Republican Warnings – The New Republic

Earlier this month, House Minority LeaderKevin McCarthy responded to a demand by the committee for telecom companies topreserve records related to the attack by threatening retribution.

If these companies comply with the Democratorder to turn over private information, they are in violation of federal lawand subject to losing their ability to operate in the United States,McCarthy said in a statement posted to Twitter. More aggressively, he addedthat the Republican majority will not forget if the companies comply with themajority.

Other Republicans have made similar arguments, and a group of GOP lawmakers sought to try to counter the committees requestby demanding that social media and telecom companies preserve thecommunication and phone records of Democrat representatives for futureinvestigative usea request that doesnt relate in any serious way to January 6.

McCarthy and other congressional Republicans,including those the committee is reportedly seeking records for, have sincebeen arguing that the 30-some telecom companies that received the request arelegally obligated not to comply. That argument was called into question bylegal experts, though. In response to McCarthys argument that telecom companiesare required to protect the records the committee is asking for, former Federal Communications Commission Chair TomWheeler was among the many experts who said those laws dont apply here.

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January 6 Committee Tightens the Screws Despite Republican Warnings - The New Republic