Republicans accused of meeting with 6 January organisers could be called on to testify

Democratic members of the committee investigating the attempted insurrection at the Capitol on 6 January said they were open to having members who allegedly met with organisers testify.

Members of the House select committee said they were willing to do so after Rolling Stone reported that two organisers of the protests on 6 January that devolved into the assault on the US Capitol met with members of Congress ahead of the riot.

Among the members that the two organisers said they consulted with were Republican Reps Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Paul Gosar of Arizona.

Rep Jamie Raskin of Maryland said that the House charged the committee to investigate the events of 6 January, its causes and what the country needs to do to prevent similar events in the future.

“We want to talk everybody who’s got information related to all of those things and so that includes elected officials. It includes anyone who has information to give us,” he said.

Rep Stephanie Murphy of Florida hinted that she was open to potentially subpoenaing any members.

“We will use all the tools at our disposal to get the information we need to pursue our investigation,” Ms Murphy said on Monday in response to a question from The Independent.

Democrats’ words come the week after the select committee voted to recommend that the House of Representatives hold former Trump adviser Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress, which the House did on Thursday. The vote came after Mr Bannon refused to honour a subpoena from the committee to give evidence about the riot. Every Democrat and nine Republicans voted to hold him in contempt.

Rep Elaine Luria of Virginia told The Independent the committee plans to request information from everyone who has information related to 6 January.

“Some people are coming to the committee voluntarily, some people, we are issuing subpoenas, so we’re not stopping until we have the information that we need,” she said. “I believe there are several members of Congress who have been named in widespread reporting and other witnesses that have information relative to events on January 6.”

Ms Luria said that the lie that the election was stolen drove people who thought violence was their only way to be heard to come to the Capitol.

Republican responses have varied from member to member. Mr Brooks, a candidate for Senate in Alabama, said he would be “proud” if his staffers had helped. Meanwhile, many of the members either denied involvement or did not respond to a request for comment by The Independent on Monday after the initial report.

Ms Greene's communication director Nick Dyer refuted the allegations.

"Congresswoman Greene and her staff were focused on the Congressional election objection on the House floor and had nothing to do with planning of any protest," Mr Dyer said in a statement to The Independent.

"She objected just like Democrats who have objected to Republican Presidential victories over the years," he added.

On Tuesday, Ms Murphy told reporters that the committee was not without limitless patience when it came to getting information from former chief of staff to the acting Defense Secretary Kash Patel and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

“If we get to a point where we feel that they are trying to obstruct, we will take the necessary actions and then move forward,” she said.