Democrats are panicking!
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) criticized Republicans for giving Fox News access to the footage of the January 6 insurrection, describing it as an “egregious security breach.”
Jeffries made the assertion in a letter to fellow House Democrats, saying that officials were trying to ascertain the “precise nature” of the transfer of the information, saying that sharing the video footage “represents an egregious security breach” endangering the U.S. Capitol Police, “who valiantly defended our democracy with their lives at risk on that fateful day.”
Jeffries’s letter comes after reports surfaced that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave access to 41,000 hours of U.S. Capitol insurrection footage to Fox News host Tucker Carlson and his team, which Fox News confirmed had occurred on Monday.
Carlson has questioned the accuracy of reporting about the insurrection and the House Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, calling it propaganda.
Jeffries also explained that during a virtual meeting scheduled for 2 p.m. on Wednesday (February 22), members of the Democratic caucus would hear from ranking member on the House Administration Committee, Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) who served on the House Committee investigating January 6.
Thompson had condemned the release of the footage on Monday (February 20), also citing the “security risks” associated with such a release and any irresponsible use of the material.
Thompson explained that the January 6 Panel had taken “numerous protocols… to protect the safety” of police officers, staff, and members targeted during the insurrection, adding that there wasn’t any reassurance McCarthy had done the same with his release.