Johnson Forms Committee To Investigate Original Dem-Led Jan. 6 Probe

House Speaker Mike Johnson has announced the formation of a new panel to investigate the Democrat-led January 6 Committee, following allegations that the committee may have hidden or destroyed evidence exonerating former President Donald Trump.
The original January 6 Committee, led by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), was heavily criticized by Republicans. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made an unprecedented decision to bar the GOP minority from selecting its members for the committee, prompting then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to refuse to participate. Eventually, two anti-Trump Republicans, Cheney and now-former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), joined the panel.
The newly announced select subcommittee will be chaired by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) and will operate as part of the House Judiciary Committee. Loudermilk, who conducted his own investigation into January 6 through the House Administration Committee, had previously urged Speaker Johnson to establish a separate entity to investigate the matter further.
Since it is a “select” subcommittee, Speaker Johnson has the exclusive authority to decide which House members will serve on the panel.
Speaker Johnson and other Republicans have emphasized the importance of uncovering the truth behind the events of January 6 and addressing alleged failures of the original committee. “House Republicans are proud of our work so far in exposing the false narratives peddled by the politically motivated January 6 Select Committee during the 117th Congress, but there is still more work to be done,” Johnson stated. “We are establishing this Select Subcommittee to continue our efforts to uncover the full truth that is owed to the American people.”
Chairman Loudermilk echoed Johnson’s sentiments, stating that the new subcommittee would aim to “uncover all the facts and begin the arduous task of making needed reforms to ensure this level of security failure may never happen again.”
Republicans have raised concerns about the original committee’s handling of evidence and its alleged politicization. In December, Loudermilk released a report accusing the committee of failures and bias. The report recommended a criminal investigation into Liz Cheney, alleging she may have engaged in witness tampering by communicating with Cassidy Hutchinson, a key witness and former White House aide.
Cheney denied the allegations, calling the report “fabricated lies and defamatory allegations” aimed at distracting from Trump’s actions on January 6.
The investigation also raises questions about former President Biden’s decision to preemptively pardon members of the original January 6 Committee and its staff hours before leaving office. Some Republicans argue that these pardons could complicate efforts to compel testimony, as they remove the risk of self-incrimination. Loudermilk suggested that the pardons may provide additional motivation to subpoena former committee members for questioning.
“It’s a situation we still need to dig deeper into,” Loudermilk told The Hill. He also noted the potential significance of individuals not included in Biden’s pardons, such as Cassidy Hutchinson.
The establishment of the new subcommittee marks a continuation of Republican efforts to challenge the findings and methods of the original January 6 Committee. With Speaker Johnson’s support, the panel is expected to scrutinize the committee’s actions, investigate potential security failures, and push for reforms to prevent similar incidents in the future.