Devin Nunes and top Republicans fault Nancy Pelosi for Capitol attack. Here are the facts
Four leading House Republicans — including Rep. Devin Nunes — sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday, suggesting she was partially responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and accusing her of handling the riot’s aftermath in a partisan manner.
They fault Pelosi, D-San Francisco, for the decision to not have the National Guard ready at the Capitol, for delays in getting the National Guard to the Capitol while the attack was happening and changing Capitol security policies without consulting Republicans.
“Five weeks have passed since the January 6th attack on the Capitol building, and many important questions about your responsibility for the security of the Capitol remain unanswered,” they wrote.
It was sent by Republicans who are ranking members on four House committees, also known as the top Republicans on those committees: Nunes of Tulare on Intelligence, Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois on House Administration, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio on Judiciary and Rep. James Comer of Kentucky on Oversight and Reform.
Drew Hammill, Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, said the letter was “full of falsehoods” and “a transparently partisan attempt to lay blame on the Speaker.”
He also alleged the Republican leaders helped motivate rioters by promoting conspiracy theories of former President Donald Trump that the election was “stolen” from him.
“Clearly, these members are trying to deflect responsibility for the Capitol attack from Donald Trump,” Hammill said. “Two of the four House Republican ranking members voted to overturn the results of a fair election, just hours after the Capitol was sacked by an insurrectionist, right-wing mob – a mob incited by Trump.”
Here’s a rundown of what the letter says and what we know about the facts of the day.
Republican claim
The Republicans say Pelosi handled the riot’s aftermath in a partisan manner, by firing then-House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, demanding the resignation of then-Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund and appointing retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré to lead a security review — all without consulting with GOP. Irving’s assignment made him responsible for “maintaining order in the House side of the complex.”
What we know
Hammill confirmed Pelosi’s office did not consult with Republicans on those decisions, but said Republicans are trying to have it both ways.
“The speaker is not in charge of the entire Capitol complex anymore than (Republican Sen.) Mitch McConnell was as majority leader,” he said, adding that consulting with the minority party, particularly immediately after a violent attack, is not a requirement.
McConnell, R-Kentucky, also accepted the resignation of the Senate sergeant at arms on the same day Irving resigned.
Ashley Phelps, a spokeswoman for Republicans on the Committee of House Administration that led the letter, said “the speaker should absolutely consult the minority on campus decisions.” She said there are general Republican complaints that Pelosi is taking a partisan approach to such decision-making.
Republican claim
The Republicans also noted in the letter that when Capitol Police Chief Sund had requested the National Guard be activated ahead of Jan. 6, House Sergeant at Arms Irving did not approve the request.
Irving was concerned about the “optics” of having the National Guard on site, according to the letter and media reports. The Republicans wrote to Pelosi that Irving was “acting on your behalf.”
What we know
Pelosi does have authority over the sergeant at arms’ office, but Irving rejected the request without consulting House leadership, according to multiple reports published in mid-January.
Hammill also denied that Pelosi’s office was ever made aware of requests for the National Guard on Jan. 6. A spokesman for Irving has said that Irving did not consult with Pelosi.
Committees were briefed about security preparedness ahead of Jan. 6, during which both Irving and Sund said “there was no intelligence that groups would become violent at the Capitol during the certification of electoral votes,” Hammill noted.
He added that Rep. Davis was part of a similar briefing, “but took no action to address any security concerns that he might have had.”
Phelps said Davis was never made aware of a request for the National Guard.
Republican claim
The letter alleges the National Guard might have been delayed in getting to the Capitol after the attack had already started due to Pelosi.
“It took over an hour for his request to be approved because the (sergeant at arms) had to run the request up the chain of command, which undoubtedly included you and your designees,” the Republicans wrote.
What we know
Hammill said former Sergeant at Arms Irving approached Pelosi’s chief of staff, Terri McCullough, in a hallway by the House floor at 1:40 p.m. on Jan. 6, asking if he could seek support from the National Guard. McCullough passed a note to Pelosi on the House floor at 1:43 p.m. and Pelosi immediately approved the request, according to Hammill and partially confirmed by a video recording of the House floor on C-SPAN.
Phelps said that still left questions as to why it took so long to activate the National Guard.
“By (former Capitol Police Chief) Sund’s timeline and the Speaker’s account, it would have taken 43 minutes for (Sergeant at Arms) Irving to relay to the Speaker’s staff of the request,” Phelps said. “That’s concerning considering the barriers had already been breached at this point.”
Republican claim
Last, the Republicans accuse Pelosi of “hyperbolic focus on fabricated internal security concerns,” such as installing magnetometers around the House Chamber. Pelosi has introduced policies that force all House members to go through the metal detectors before voting on the House floor, which have prompted complaints among Republicans.
The Republicans in the letter also accuse her of hypocrisy on that front.
“Tellingly, Madam Speaker, you have failed to comply with this requirement yourself,” it reads.
What we know
Hammill sent a letter dated Feb. 5 from Acting Sergeant at Arms Timothy Blodgett, which says Blodgett has directed Capitol Police to report anyone who “fails to complete security screening without exception.” He said he has received no reports concerning Pelosi.
The letter did not satisfy House Republicans, according to Phelps.
“Again, why is the Speaker’s office pointing to outside reports,” Phelps said. “Her office should be able to point-blank answer whether or not she broke her own security rules by not going around the metal detectors.”
Hammill pointed to guidance from the sergeant at arms’ letter that said only U.S. Capitol Police are qualified to determine if someone has failed to complete screening procedures.
“(Ranking member) Rodney Davis sends us almost daily letters and we’re not going to respond to every one of them,” Hammill said.
This story was originally published February 19, 2021, 5:00 AM.
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