Dem Rep. Thompson: There Was ‘Communication’ Between Rioters, Members of Congress

Todd Have you seen ░░░░░░░░ evidence or do you ░░░░░░░░ any indication that maybe ░░░░░░░░ of Congress assisted any ░░░░░░░░ the rioters on that ░░░░░░░░ THOMSPON Yes We have ░░░░░░░░ lot of information about ░░░░░░░░ with individuals who who ░░░░░░░░ Now assisted means different ░░░░░░░░ Some took pictures with ░░░░░░░░ who came to Stop ░░░░░░░░ Steal Rally Some you ░░░░░░░░ allowed them to come ░░░░░░░░ associate in their offices ░░░░░░░░ other things during that ░░░░░░░░ whole rally week So ░░░░░░░░ is some participation We ░░░░░░░░ t have any real ░░░░░░░░ that I m aware ░░░░░░░░ of people giving tours ░░░░░░░░ heard a lot of ░░░░░░░░ But we re still ░░░░░░░░ Right THOMSPON to be ░░░░░░░░ with you reviewing a ░░░░░░░░ of the film that ░░░░░░░░ House administration and others ░░░░░░░░ provided the committee Todd ░░░░░░░░ you had any members ░░░░░░░░ Congress volun who were ░░░░░░░░ of this who have ░░░░░░░░ voluntarily helped you without ░░░░░░░░ having to send a ░░░░░░░░ THOMSPON Well we ve ░░░░░░░░ a number of members ░░░░░░░░ Congress to give us ░░░░░░░░ on what they heard ░░░░░░░░ that might have gone ░░░░░░░░ We ve heard directly ░░░░░░░░ members referring us to ░░░░░░░░ individuals But we heard ░░░░░░░░ those early on Now ░░░░░░░░ are trying to get ░░░░░░░░ those individuals that we ░░░░░░░░ basically identified that they ░░░░░░░░ participated Representative Perry and ░░░░░░░░ are two of those ░░░░░░░░ that we ve sent ░░░░░░░░ to asking them to ░░░░░░░░ cooperate But there were ░░░░░░░░ lot of experiences on ░░░░░░░░ day Chuck I was ░░░░░░░░ the Capitol A lot ░░░░░░░░ other members didn t ░░░░░░░░ know what was going ░░░░░░░░ for quite a while ░░░░░░░░ than the fact that ░░░░░░░░ hell had broken loose ░░░░░░░░ a place where we ░░░░░░░░ would never happen So ░░░░░░░░ members are concerned but ░░░░░░░░ have respected the committee ░░░░░░░░ wishes to go forward ░░░░░░░░ find the facts and ░░░░░░░░ And that s what ░░░░░░░░ re doing As you ░░░░░░░░ we ve talked Todd ░░░░░░░░ you right THOMSPON to ░░░░░░░░ 300 people all over ░░░░░░░░ country about Todd Do ░░░░░░░░ think you re going ░░░░░░░░ have to subpoena do ░░░░░░░░ think you re going ░░░░░░░░ have to subpoena a ░░░░░░░░ member of Congress THOMSPON ░░░░░░░░ I think there are ░░░░░░░░ questions of whether we ░░░░░░░░ the authority to do ░░░░░░░░ We re looking at ░░░░░░░░ If the authorities are ░░░░░░░░ there ll be no ░░░░░░░░ on our part Todd ░░░░░░░░ of the folks you ░░░░░░░░ subpoenaed have filed counter ░░░░░░░░ looked for delay tactics ░░░░░░░░ it s something you ░░░░░░░░ anticipated What is the ░░░░░░░░ for you where where ░░░░░░░░ and the vice chair ░░░░░░░░ OK this is a ░░░░░░░░ to delay our attempt ░░░░░░░░ a report delay a ░░░░░░░░ finding Is it the ░░░░░░░░ early summer Is there ░░░░░░░░ point where you believe ░░░░░░░░ we ve got what ░░░░░░░░ ve got We ve ░░░░░░░░ to report to the ░░░░░░░░ public THOMSPON Oh no ░░░░░░░░ Our goal is to ░░░░░░░░ a report We would ░░░░░░░░ that report to be ░░░░░░░░ thorough as possible We ░░░░░░░░ t be deterred by ░░░░░░░░ attempts to slow things ░░░░░░░░ by suing the committee ░░░░░░░░ have a bevy of ░░░░░░░░ who understand the process ░░░░░░░░ go forward and a ░░░░░░░░ of people who are ░░░░░░░░ in this investigation And ░░░░░░░░ we ll continue Now ░░░░░░░░ the extent we can ░░░░░░░░ information with the authorities ░░░░░░░░ we have as a ░░░░░░░░ we ll continue to ░░░░░░░░ that But we won ░░░░░░░░ wait until somebody comes ░░░░░░░░ talks to us We ░░░░░░░░ a number of people ░░░░░░░░ need to talk with ░░░░░░░░ think we are in ░░░░░░░░ good place at this ░░░░░░░░ in time to begin ░░░░░░░░ process of drafting this ░░░░░░░░ We will meet and ░░░░░░░░ a timeline for the ░░░░░░░░ of the report because ░░░░░░░░ is some legislation that ░░░░░░░░ hope to recommend with ░░░░░░░░ report that Congress needs ░░░░░░░░ adopt so that what ░░░░░░░░ on January 6th will ░░░░░░░░ happen again As I ░░░░░░░░ viewed the film as ░░░░░░░░ ve toured the Capitol ░░░░░░░░ I ve talked to ░░░░░░░░ Capitol policemen Metropolitan policemen ░░░░░░░░ Guardsmen we came critically ░░░░░░░░ to losing this democracy ░░░░░░░░ we ve come to ░░░░░░░░ it And so it ░░░░░░░░ our duty as patriots ░░░░░░░░ Americans as members of ░░░░░░░░ to make sure that ░░░░░░░░ get it right Todd ░░░░░░░░ quickly I know we ░░░░░░░░ short on time your ░░░░░░░░ with Liz Cheney You ░░░░░░░░ been in Congress with ░░░░░░░░ a long time I ░░░░░░░░ guessing this is the ░░░░░░░░ you ve ever worked ░░░░░░░░ her Tell me about ░░░░░░░░ THOMSPON No question Well ░░░░░░░░ is a straight up ░░░░░░░░ We agree on a ░░░░░░░░ of things We disagree ░░░░░░░░ a lot of things ░░░░░░░░ we both love this ░░░░░░░░ And I think putting ░░░░░░░░ in a room together ░░░░░░░░ allowed me to see ░░░░░░░░ side of her And ░░░░░░░░ s seen another side ░░░░░░░░ me And I think ░░░░░░░░ Democrats and Republicans who ░░░░░░░░ ideologically apart like Liz ░░░░░░░░ Bennie Thompson can come ░░░░░░░░ for the good of ░░░░░░░░ country we d be ░░░░░░░░ a better place if ░░░░░░░░ could do the same ░░░░░░░░ Todd Congressman Bennie Thompson ░░░░░░░░ your time I know ░░░░░░░░ is important work We ░░░░░░░░ look forward to seeing ░░░░░░░░ completed and to seeing ░░░░░░░░ hearings Thanks for coming ░░░░░░░░ Meet the Press.’”