Pelosi chokes up as she calls Capitol riot an 'assault on our Democracy' then threatens GOP lawmakers if they are found to have 'aided and abetted' MAGA attack with prosecution
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi raised the possibility Friday of criminal prosecutions of Republican lawmakers if they are found to have provided Capitol tours to people who took part in the Capitol riots.
Speaking to reporters a week after a MAGA mob ransacked the Capitol and days after the House voted to impeach President Trump, the Speaker responded to claims by multiple lawmakers who have raised alarms about the tours on the eve of the riots.
'If in fact it is found that members of Congress were accomplices to this insurrection – if they aided and abetted the crimes – there may have to be actions taken beyond the Congress in terms of prosecution for that,' Pelosi said.
Pelosi also choked up as she spoke about a 'punk' who wore a hoodie to the riot with the words Camp Auschwitz.
'To see this punk with that shirt on and his anti-Semitism that he has bragged about, to be part of a white supremacist raid on this Capitol requires us to have an after-action review,' she said.
If lawmakers are found to be 'accomplices' in the riots, 'there may have to be actions taken beyond the Congress in terms of prosecution for that,' said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
While she said there would be a multi-pronged investigation of what went wrong, she also put the matter in terms of 'trust' – after she ordered the installation of a magnetometer outside the House chamber amid fears of further violence.
'In order to serve here with each other, we must trust that people have respect for their oath of office. Respect for this institution. We must trust each other,' Pelosi said.
She also announced that retired Lt. Gen. Rusell Honore would be coming on to conduct an 'immediate review of security infrastructure' and command and control for protecting the Capitol. 'The general is a respected leader with experience dealing with crises,' she said, in reference to the man who helped restore public confidence in the initially flailing response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
'House leadership has welcomed Gen. Honore, seen up close and personal his excellent leadership at the time of Katrina, particularly the head of the Katrina Task Force,' she said.
The demand for answers about who provided and who attended the tours follows daily revelations about the violent conduct and intentions of the rioters who stormed the Capitol just as Congress was meeting to count the votes of the Electoral College to cement Joe Biden's election win.
Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, now retired, looks over the extensive flood damage by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the town of Empire in Plaquemines Parish, La., as he tours the area, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005. He will help review Capitol security following last week's riots
In one example, retired Lt. Col. Larry Rendall Brock Jr, 53, appeared in a Texas courtroom Thursday after he was arrested after being photographed on the Senate floor during the deadly riot wearing a helmet and heavy vest and carrying plastic zip-tie handcuffs.
During his hearing, prosecutors said the zip ties were proof Brock - who appeared in court with his hands and feet shackled - had planned to take hostages during the siege.
'He means to take hostages. He means to kidnap, restrain, perhaps try, perhaps execute members of the U.S. government,' Assistant US Attorney Jay Weimer said of Brock.
During the hearing, prosecutors read out social media posts from Brock, including one posted on the day of the Capitol riot that said: 'Patriots on the Capitol. Patriots storming. Men with guns need to shoot their way in.'
Rioters were heard shouting to 'hang Mike Pence!' and lawmakers Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she feared she would be killed.
Federal prosecutors in Arizona alleged that the intent of the rioters during the siege was to capture and assassinate elected officials.
Brock was photographed on the Senate floor during the deadly riot wearing a helmet and heavy vest and carrying plastic zip-tie handcuffs
Retired Lt. Col. Larry Rendall Brock Jr was arrested last Sunday in Texas after being photographed on the Senate floor during the deadly riot wearing a helmet and heavy vest and carrying plastic zip-tie handcuffs
Federal prosecutors in Arizona on Thursday sought the detention of 'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley (above). They allege that the intent of the rioters during the siege was to capture and assassinate elected officials
In a court filing there on Thursday, those prosecutors argued that 'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley should be detained pending trial after he was charged over his involvement in the riots.
'Strong evidence, including Chansley's own words and actions at the Capitol, supports that the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government,' prosecutors said.
They said the 33-year-old left a note for Pence at the dais in the Senate Chamber where the second-in-command had been standing just minutes before, which read: 'it's only a matter of time, justice is coming.'
One thing Pelosi would not disclose is when she planned to send impeachment articles over to the Senate to begin President Trump's trial on 'incitement of insurrection.' The trial is expected to begin after Trump leaves office, and the Senate is not currently in session.
'You’ll be the first to know when we announce that we’re going over there,' she told reporters.
