As they prepare to take control of powerful committees and leadership positions in the House, two members of the new Republican majority are also facing serious legal jeopardy, according to former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade.
McQuade said that Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) are facing serious scrutiny for their roles in the January 6, 2022 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to Newsweek.
The biggest threat to both men, according to McQuade, is what the Justice Department may have planned for them.
“I think they’re quite likely under investigation. Jim Jordan and Kevin McCarthy, I mean we know that they were having direct communications with Donald Trump on January 6. At this point, I suppose they [the January 6 committee] consider them to be witnesses, but I think they’d want to know what they have to say.”
Additionally, McQuade said that Jordan and McCarthy may be invited for a interview by DOJ officials. If they refuse, a subpoena for their testimony before a grand jury will likely be used to “compel” their cooperation.
The House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection released an 845-page report on Thursday which mentiones Jordan as a”significant player” in Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election:
“He participated in numerous post-election meetings in which senior White House officials, Rudolph Giuliani, and others, discussed strategies for challenging the election, chief among them claims that the election had been tainted by fraud.”
The Jan. 6 panel subpoenaed Jordan earlier this year, but he failed to comply and appear for a scheduled deposition on May 27.
McQuade noted that while it’s controversial for the DOJ to go after members of Congress, it’s not unprecedented.
“It’s highly sensitive to go after information from a sitting member of Congress, but they’re not being targeted because they’re members of Congress, they’re being targeted because of their conduct and conversations with Donald Trump on January 6.”
