Georgia Republican Barry Loudermilk is being called into question by the House select committee regarding a tour he gave of the Capitol building the day before the January 6 riot.
In a letter written by the committee to Loudermilk they state a need for further clarity on the purpose of the tour, and the identities of those who were present for it.
An excerpt from the letter:
We write to seek your voluntary cooperation in advancing our investigation. Based on our
review of evidence in the Select Committee's possession, we believe you have information
regarding a tour you led through parts of the Capitol complex on January 5, 2021.The foregoing information raises questions to which the Select Committee must seek
answers. Public reporting and witness accounts indicate some individuals and groups engaged in
efforts to gather information about the layout of the U.S. Capitol, as well as the House and Senate
office buildings, in advance of January 6, 2021.
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The letter further states that a committee review of security footage taken within the Capitol contradicts previously made Republican claims that there were no tours, and no known public-facing MAGA presence on the property during the days leading up to the Jan. 6 riot.
According to CNN coverage of the investigation, representatives for Loudermilk have not yet responded to the inquiry, but it is known that a meeting with Loudermilk has been requested by the committee to take place sometime next week.
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CNN also points out that New Jersey Democrat Mikie Sherrill made statements following the Capitol riots indicating his belief that there had been "insiders" giving tours of the Capitol in the days prior, but didn't name any names at that time.
[There were] "members of Congress who had groups coming through the Capitol that I saw on January 5th for reconnaissance for the next day," Sherrill said.
Loudermilk, a member of the Committee on House Administration, was among the 147 Republicans who voted to overturn Biden's election.
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