Says Nancy Pelosi “won’t let Capitol police testify about what happened Jan. 6.”
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No, Nancy Pelosi isn’t blocking Capitol police officers from testifying about Jan. 6
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After meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the chairman of a new select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 riot said the inquiry would start with testimony from Capitol police officers.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted largely along party lines on June 30 to create a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Members of the U.S. Capitol Police watched the proceedings from the gallery. But a few days later, a claim started circulating on social media that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was preventing officers from telling lawmakers about what happened that day.
"Pelosi won’t let Capitol police testify about what happened on Jan. 6," one Facebook post said. "That tells you everything you need to know."
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Some Republicans have criticized the committee as partisan (Republicans blocked an earlier effort to create an independent bipartisan commission); Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., said it "will not be viewed credibly by at least half of Americans, nor will it honestly look at (Pelosi’s) own failures in securing the U.S. Capitol on that day."
But it’s not accurate that Pelosi is blocking police from testifying.
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"This is completely false," said Drew Hammill, deputy chief of staff for Pelosi. He told PolitiFact that the chairman of the committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., announced on July 1 that the first hearing would be to hear from Capitol police officers.
The Hill reported July 1 that after a meeting in Pelosi’s office, Thompson announced the committee will start its probe with witness testimony from Capitol police officers who were on duty during the Jan. 6 riot.
Thompson didn’t specify which officers the committee would call to appear, according to the Hill, but said "many of us hope to begin the process with a hearing in which the Capitol Police officers themselves could be able to testify about their experiences."
We rate this post False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, July 4, 2021
NPR, The House approves a new select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 riot, June 30, 2021
The Hill, First hearing of Jan. 6 probe to feature Capitol Police testimony, July 1, 2021
The Hill, Five big questions about the Jan. 6 select committee, July 5, 2021
Email interview with Drew Hamill, deputy chief of staff for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, July 7, 2021
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No, Nancy Pelosi isn’t blocking Capitol police officers from testifying about Jan. 6
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