McCarthy’s Jan. 6 Video Transfer to Fox News Could Imperil Security, Democrat Says

The access House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is giving Tucker Carlson to US Capitol security video surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection will not enable Republicans to “unwind the truth” of that day’s violence, a senior congressional Democrat said.

(Bloomberg) — The access House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is giving Tucker Carlson to US Capitol security video surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection will not enable Republicans to “unwind the truth” of that day’s violence, a senior congressional Democrat said.

Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, in an interview Thursday with Bloomberg Radio’s Sound On, said House Democrats met privately by conference call Wednesday, and that there were deep concerns expressed about the reported 44,000 hours of footage provided by McCarthy to Carlson and Fox News. 

If made public, she said, some of it could reveal security camera coverage “gaps” at the Capitol and “that to give bad guys ideas on how to avoid detection would be a problem.” She also said that escape routes used during the assault by lawmakers and staff at the Capitol complex might be revealed.

Lofgren, a member of the committee that investigated the insurrection, added that she thought the transfer “is not benign because there are certain things that cause security concerns.”

She said not much is known about McCarthy’s arrangement with Carlson. But while the Fox News team might have unfettered access to the video, she said, it’s not believed that McCarthy handed over a hard drive of all the footage.

She also wouldn’t speculate why McCarthy provided Carlson with the video. 

McCarthy’s campaign committee has been boasting about the transfer in donor fundraising appeals. “I promised I would give you the truth regarding Jan. 6th, and now I am delivering,” McCarthy said in an email to donors. “I have released the full 44,000 hours of uncut camera surveillance footage.” 

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