Jan. 6 panel mulls second invitation to McCarthy

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack may again seek to speak with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in light of a slew of comments he made in a series of audio recordings released by The New York Times.

The committee in January issued an invitation — but not a subpoena — to McCarthy, an offer he has since rebuffed.

“We’ve invited him to come earlier before the latest revelation that was reported on tapes. So in all probability, he will be issued another invitation to come just like some other members,” Select Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said, noting a decision will be made “soon.”

In the tapes, McCarthy can be heard saying that in a conversation with former President Trump, the latter admitted he bore some responsibility for the attack on the Capitol.

In another exchange, McCarthy said he wanted to avoid any conversations with Trump about a pardon by former Vice President Mike Pence — a key exchange generating scrutiny by the committee.

The Times on Tuesday released more audio showing McCarthy’s frustration with disparaging comments some Republican lawmakers made about their colleagues, including the Jan. 6 panel’s vice chairwoman, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). 

The request for an appearance from McCarthy was preceded by invitations to Reps. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who have likewise failed to appear.

Thompson said new members might also receive an invitation to speak with the committee.

“We’ll make a decision on any others before the week is out,” he said.

Thompson also did not rule out a possible subpoena for McCarthy if he does not respond to a second invitation.

“That will be a consideration for the committee,” he said.

Mychael Schnell contributed.