Jan. 6 committee seeks to interview 3 more GOP lawmakers

May 2 (UPI) -- The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol on Monday sought information from three more Republican lawmakers with close ties to former President Donald Trump.

Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Mo Brooks of Alabama and Ronny Jackson of Texas were sent letters seeking their "cooperation" in the probe, panel Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., announced in a statement.

"The Select Committee has learned that several of our colleagues have information relevant to our investigation into the facts, circumstances, and causes of January 6th," they said.

"As we work to provide answers to the American people about that day, we consider it a patriotic duty for all witnesses to cooperate. We urge our colleagues to join the hundreds of individuals who have shared information with the Select Committee as we work to get to the bottom of what happened on January 6th," they added.

Republican Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California have previously received requests for cooperation from the Jan. 6 panel. All have so far refused.

McCarthy has called the committee "illegitimate" and has accused it of seeking to "damage its political opponents" rather than investigate the events of Jan. 6, in which the Capitol was stormed by a mob of Trump supporters seeking to block the certification of President Joe Biden's election victory.

In its letter to Biggs, leader of right-wing House Freedom Caucus, the committee said it is "aware of your participation in certain planning meetings, both in person at the White House and remotely, regarding various aspects of planning for January 6th," including a Dec. 21, 2020, in-person meeting in which a scheme to nullify the election results was allegedly discussed.

The committee told Brooks it is seeking information about "your recent public statements regarding conversations" with Trump, including a statement made to WIAT-TV in Birmingham, Ala., on March 24, in which Brooks said, "The President [Trump] has asked me to rescind the election of 2020. He always brings up, 'we've got to rescind the election. We've got to take Joe Biden down and put me in now.'"

Jackson, Trump's former White House doctor, was asked by the committee to provide information about references made to him in encrypted communications exchanged between members of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group during the Jan. 6 riot.

The panel says the messages show Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes asking fellow militia members to provide Jackson with personal security and "suggesting that you have 'critical data to protect.'"