In 2016, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton proved that destroying incriminating evidence was a viable way to escape accountability. It’s a time-tested theory and one that Democrats are using again to hide the truth.
When Republicans reclaimed the House following the 2022 midterms, their intentions were clear. A priority for the House Administration Committee’s Oversight Subcommittee, led by Chairman Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), was to unravel security failures and dive into the January 6 committee’s one-sided investigation to shed light on its findings.
Per House rules, the prior select committee, led by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) had to hand over all investigation documents to the new GOP-led panel. Thompson quickly agreed to surrender the documents, promising Loudermilk four terabytes of archived data. When the transfer occurred, more than a terabyte of data was missing.
Loudermilk immediately tasked a forensics team to locate the missing data. The team searched the January 6 committee’s hard drives and found that nearly 120 files had been encrypted and deleted. The deletion date was January 1, 2023, only days before the deadline to transfer the files to Loudermilk’s team.
Following the forensic team’s investigation, numerous digital records were retrieved, one of which exposed the identity of a person whose testimony wasn’t saved by the committee. However, most recovered files are locked with passwords, making it difficult to know what information they may hide.
Loudermilk wrote letters to the White House and Department of Homeland Security general counsels, seeking unedited transcripts of their testimony to the previous select committee. His team has additionally requested all passwords to begin unencrypting the data.
In a Fox News interview, Loudermilk explained that it is evident that Nancy Pelosi’s Select Committee took significant measures to keep specific investigation documents from the public. He also noted that Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney deliberately sought to impede the GOP-led Subcommittee by “not preserving crucial information and videos,” as directed by House rules.
“The American people deserve to know the full truth, and Speaker Johnson has empowered me to use all tools necessary to recover these documents to get the truth, and I will,” vowed Loudermilk.
It’s a stark departure from the mainstream media’s cry of “hoax” when the matter came to light in August last year. At the time, USA Today fact-checked a claim alleging the existence of deleted January 6 files that had been making rounds on social media, labeling it “false.” Among the sources cited for the “fact check” was a spokesperson for the Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee, an agency in which Thompson is a ranking member.
The Jan. 6 panel used “extensive resources,” spending millions of dollars, conducting prime-time public hearings, and interviewing numerous “witnesses.” The committee had drawn bitter criticism for being led by seven Democrats and two harsh Republican critics of former President Donald Trump. Before concluding in 2022, the committee issued an 845-page final report and forwarded allegations of Trump’s role in inciting the Jan. 6 riot to the Department of Justice. These claims would be the foundation of Trump’s current indictments.
In his Fox News interview, Loudermilk accused the committee of selectively choosing evidence. He claimed that the committee members omitted evidence contradicting their narrative, focusing on blaming Trump and Republicans for planning, executing, and aiding the Capitol attacks.
The January 6 committee had targeted Loudermilk after releasing footage of him guiding tourists through the Capitol the day before the riot. Thompson suggested the tour was a “reconnaissance mission,” leading to headlines accusing the Georgia Republican of being implicated in the following day’s events. Loudermilk denied the accusation, and the Capitol Police chief refuted Thompson’s claim, stating the tour activity was not suspicious and there was no evidence of wrongdoing on Loudermilk’s part.
Trump is weighing in on the suspicious missing data, claiming that the deleted files would “exonerate him completely.” Trump hopes that a letter he received from the D.C. mayor’s office, which confirmed that then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had turned down his suggestion to beef up security ahead of January 6, will be found in the deleted files.
Trump has consistently maintained that Pelosi, in charge of Capitol security, rejected his offer to deploy 10,000 soldiers or National Guard troops before January 6th. He argues that had she accepted, January 6th would not have occurred. He notes that Pelosi turned down the offer despite intelligence received ahead of January 6 that there might be a protest. The Jan. 6 Committee refused to interview her.
The January 6 committee’s efforts to hide the truth were more technical than Clinton’s hammer and bleach technique. However, if Loudermilk’s determination is any indication, the files will be uncovered, and their contents revealed.
Americans should start buying masks and hand sanitizer; it’s almost time for another pandemic.
