Nancy Pelosi to Release Footage of Jan. 6 Capitol Incident

House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to release 44,000 hours of footage from the January 6. attack on the U.S. Capitol, fulfilling a promise he made to party members during his campaign for the position. Johnson said the decision aims to provide transparency for millions of Americans, criminal defendants, public interest organizations, and the media to independently assess the events of that day, instead of “having to rely upon the interpretation of a small group of government officials.” The House Administration Committee’s oversight subcommittee, which oversees the footage, has already released around 90 hours of security footage to their website. The rest of the 44,000 hours are expected to be posted over the next several months, and a public viewing room will also reportedly be established in the Capitol for those interested in viewing the footage. Speaker Johnson’s decision Friday fulfills promises he made to conservative party members, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who played a role in the removal of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Former President Donald Trump, currently facing federal charges related to the Jan. 6 attack, posted to his Truth Social platform on Friday, congratulating Johnson “for having the courage and fortitude” to release the footage. Previously, the House Administration Committee had limited access to the video, providing it by appointment only to the media, criminal defendants, and a select few. The new footage will reveal close-up views of the confrontations and various perspectives from throughout the Capitol building. Democrats have questioned the release of the footage. They objected in February when McCarthy released most of the footage to then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson — partly out of security concerns, and partly because they didn’t feel the footage should have been released to one news outlet. Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) on Friday said Johnson’s decision is “unconscionable” and would “endanger his colleagues, staff, visitors, and our country by allowing virtually unfettered access to sensitive Capitol security footage.” Morelle, who represents the Rochester area, is the Administration Committee’s ranking Democrat. Johnson said the video will be processed to blur the faces of individuals “to avoid any persons from being targeted for retaliation of any kind.” He also claimed around 5% of the footage will not be able to be publicly released because it ”may involve sensitive security information related to the building architecture.” With News Wire Services