https://www.axios.com/2023/11/17/mike-johnson-capitol-jan-6-security-footage
23 mins ago -
Politics & Policy
Mike Johnson to release 40,000 hours of Jan. 6 footage
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Friday announced the public release of more than 40,000 hours of Capitol security footage from Jan. 6, 2021.
Why it matters: The move meets a key demand of the Republicans' right flank as conservatives simmer at Johnson for passing a stopgap spending bill along bipartisan lines.
What they're saying: "Today, we will begin immediately posting video on a public website and move as quickly as possible to add to the website nearly all of the footage, more than 40,000 hours," Johnson said.
Johnson said the decision will "provide millions of Americans, criminal defendants, public interest organizations, and the media an ability to see for themselves what happened that day, rather than having to rely upon the interpretation of a small group of government officials."
Private citizens' faces will be blurred to "avoid any persons from being targeted for retaliation," Johnson said.
The details: Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), the chair of the House Administration Committee's oversight subcommittee, which oversees the footage, said the footage will be available on a page on the panel's website.
After the initial tranche of around 90 hours of footage, the panel "will continue to populate the viewing room with additional footage for public view," Loudermilk said in a statement.
Johnson's office said the remaining footage will be posted in waves over the next several months.