NJ Rep. Sherrill: Probe Congress Members Who Gave Rioters DC Tour

PARSIPPANY, NJ - US Representative Mikie Sherrill says congressional members led people through the Capitol the day before the riot, which she called a "reconnaissance" tour. Now she wants a probe into the matter.

Sherrill led 30 members of Congress in requesting an investigation from the acting House sergeant at arms, acting Senate sergeant at arms and United States Capitol Police into the suspicious behavior and access given to visitors to the Capitol Complex on Jan. 5 – the day before the attacks on the Capitol.

“Many of the members who signed this letter, including those of us who have served in the military and are trained to recognize suspicious activity, as well as various members of our staff, witnessed an extremely high number of outside groups in the complex on Tuesday, January 5,” wrote the members. “This is unusual for several reasons, including the fact that access to the Capitol Complex has been restricted since public tours ended in March of last year due to the pandemic."

The letter noted that the tours were a noticeable and concerning departure from the procedures in place as of March 2020.

"This is unusual for several reasons, including the fact that access to the Capitol Complex has been restricted since public tours ended in March due to the pandemic," Sherrill said. "We found these tours so concerning that senior staff questioned the Sergeant at Arms on Jan. 5 about what was taking place."

Speaking during a live webcast Tuesday, the former Navy pilot noted her reasoning for voting for the removal of President Donald Trump via the 25th amendment and for impeaching him for a second time before setting her sights on her colleagues.

"Not only do I intend to see that the president is removed and never runs for office again and doesn’t have access to classified material, I also intend to see that those members of Congress who abetted him; those members of Congress who had groups coming through the Capitol that I saw on Jan. 5 — a reconnaissance for the next day; those members of Congress that incited this violent crowd; those members of Congress that attempted to help our president undermine our democracy; I'm going to see they are held accountable, and if necessary, ensure that they don't serve in Congress,” she said.

Last Wednesday's mayhem overwhelmed Capitol Police, who evacuated members of Congress as violence escalated. The legislators were meeting to accept the electoral college results certifying Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. All told, five people died in the insurrection, including Capitol Hill Police Officer and New Jersey native Brian Sicknick who died from injuries sustained engaging with protesters.

Sherrill and Gov. Phil Murphy paid tribute to Sicknick, who grew up in South River and is an Iraq War veteran, said Murphy. He is also a graduate of Middlesex County vo-tech schools.

So far, the FBI has charged 18 of the rioters with felonies in an investigation that could become one of the largest ever undertaken by the agency. About 40 others have been charged in state and local jurisdictions. About 120 people have been either arrested or identified as riot participants through photos and videos, The Hill reported. An AP analysis of social media posts, voter registrations and court files show most are known longtime Trump supporters.

For her part, Sherrill did not specify what groups she saw in the Capitol or which of her colleagues were involved. She did however, say that the actions were a threat.

“We can’t have a democracy if members of Congress are actively helping the president overturn the elections results," she said.

This is a developing story. Patch will have more information as it comes in.

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