Kevin McCarthy, the leader of the Republican party in the US House of Representatives, has refused to cooperate in the investigation into the storming of the Capitol on January 6 last year by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.
The investigation by a parliamentary committee is “illegitimate,” CNN quoted as saying in a statement by the most powerful Republican in the House.
McCarthy was asked by the investigating committee on Wednesday to answer questions about Trump’s actions on the day of the storming and talks he had with the president at the time. The committee also wants to know whether McCarthy later received instructions from Trump about what to tell the investigators. McCarthy said in his statement that the investigation was an “abuse of power” and that it “blurred” parliament.
With the storming of the Capitol, Trump supporters wanted to avoid confirming Joe Biden’s victory in the late 2020 presidential election. The Democrat-dominated House of Representatives committee investigates whether the White House played a role in the riots.