Jan. 6 committee member says former Republican Congressman's findings about White House call 'didn't pan out'
House Select Committee member Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), is among those who have been investigating the attack on Congress on Jan. 6 and the lead up to the attack. She spoke to CNN on Sunday, where she was asked about former Republican Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA) who is publishing a book about some of the things he observed during his time working on the Committee.
Riggleman, who is no longer in Congress, told "60 Minutes" that there was a phone call directly to the White House landline on Jan. 6 from one of the insurrectionists at the Capitol. He called it an "ah-ha moment," for their team because it seemed odd that an attacker would be calling the White House.
Lofgren, however, said that everything Riggleman discovered in his work, which ended in April 2022, has been followed up by the committee and the staff. Riggleman was working with the committee for about eight months and spent the month after his work writing his book which is set to be released soon.
Lofgren told CNN that what was discovered about the call Riggleman referenced was that it lasted fewer than 10 seconds. It's possible that the call was even an accidental call to an insurrectionist. If that was the case, however, why would a White House staffer have a Capitol attacker on speed dial or a previously dialed phone number? Riggleman dismissed that it was a nothing-burger, saying that the White House even knowing the phone number of a Capitol attacker and calling them while the person was in the Capitol isn't a coincidence.
Months before Riggleman quit, in Feb. 2022, Riggleman noted that some of the things he saw in the probe were so significant that they were things he couldn't "unsee."
"And if you understand the data, you want others to see and understand it," Riggleman continued. He also foreshadowed that the general public would see the data "when it's time."
Riggleman's interview with "60 Minutes" is scheduled for Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.
Lofgren also mentioned that she wouldn't give details about when right-wing activist and lobbyist Ginni Thomas will be speaking because she wants to ensure Thomas gets some dignity entering the committee room. Thomas has been able to hold off the committee over the past several months. MSNBC legal analyst Charles Coleman suggested on Sunday that Thomas is playing the "short game" simply trying to run out the clock before the November election.
She also noted that while many of the Jan. 6 hearings have been in prime-time one key piece is that the Fox networks air the hearing during the daytime, which gives them access to an important audience that couldn't be reached by CNN, she said.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) told the Texas Tribune on Saturday that there will be other public hearings after Wednesday's event. However, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said he's not sure there will be more public investigative hearings after Wednesday. He said what might happen is a final hearing that ties everything together.
See Lofgren's statements below:
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