On Monday, the January 6th Committee in the U.S. Congress announced they wanted to speak with three members of Congress about the Insurrection, including one from Texas. However, Rep. Ronny Jackson, who called the committee a “witch hunt,” will not comply with the non-binding request.
The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, as it’s officially known, was formed in June 2021. According to Rep. Jamie Raskin, a member of the committee, public hearings will begin next month and will show a “story of the worst presidential political crime against the union in American history.”
Jackson, the former Physician to the President, is extremely close with Donald Trump. Jackson was nominated by Trump to serve as the Secretary of Veteran Affairs. However, Jackson withdrew his nomination after multiple accusations about his alleged workplace misconduct were made public.
After Rep. Mac Thornberry announced his retirement, Jackson, a Texas native, jumped into the race for the 13th congressional district. After a crowded primary and a runoff, Jackson was elected to Congress and became a stalwart defender of Trumpism. On the morning of January 6, Jackson posted photos from the rally at the Ellipse outside the White House. Two days before that he told Twitter he would contest the results of the electoral college.
In their letter requesting his cooperation, the January 6 Committee suggested a connection between the congressman and the anti-government militia known as the Oath Keepers. “First, while the January 6th attack was underway, members of the Oath Keepers, including its leader Stewart Rhodes, exchanged encrypted messages asking members of the organization to provide you personally with security assistance, suggesting that you have ‘critical data to protect,’” they wrote.
Stewart Rhodes, who was previously a paratrooper in the Army and a graduate of Yale Law School, founded the ultra-rightwing Oath Keepers in 2009 shortly after Barack Obama became president. The Southern Poverty Law Center describes the Oath Keepers as one of the largest “far-right anti-government groups” in the country, which claims current and former law
A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful).
