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June 17 (UPI) -- The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol said it plans to start cooperating with the Justice Department's request for copies of transcripts from witness interviews. The select committee confirmed its plans in a statement released to NBC News on Friday.
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The committee is "engaged in a cooperative process to address the needs of the Department of Justice," the statement said. "We are not inclined to share the details of that publicly.
"We believe accountability is important and won't be an obstacle to the department's prosecutions."
Transcripts of witness interviews could be shared with federal prosecutors as soon as next month, multiple people familiar with negotiations told The New York Times. The two sides have been discussing exactly what material will be handed over to the Justice Department.
The Justice Department sent the committee a letter earlier this week asking again for transcripts it initially requested in April.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the select committee, didn't initially agree to the request, saying the transcripts were the product of the panel conducting its own investigation.
The Justice Department, though, said they're also "critical" to its probe.
"It is now readily apparent that the interviews the select committee conducted are not just potentially relevant to our overall criminal investigations, but are likely relevant to specific prosecutions that have already commenced," the Justice Department letter said.
"Given this overlap, it is critical that the select committee provide us with copies of the transcripts of all its witness interviews."
