Ex-officials, including Trump impeachment witness Vindman, sign letter to create Jan. 6 commission

A group of Washington ex-officials – including former Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman,. who testified against former President Trump in his first congressional impeachment proceedings – is urging Congress to create a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

"We write to encourage this Congress to establish an independent and bipartisan national commission to investigate the January 6th assault of the U.S. Capitol Complex and its direct causes and to make recommendations to prevent future assaults and strengthen the resilience of our democratic institutions" the letter states.

Vindman said he witnessed a phone call between Trump and his Ukraine counterpart in which the then-president asked for a "favor" – gaining  information on President Biden, according to NPR.

Biden at the time was a top potential Democratic presidential contender.

The letter is signed by 140 people, including nearly two dozen ambassadors, six former senators, four former secretaries of Homeland Security and two members of the 9/11 Commission, according to WTOP News.

This is the most recent request into forming a commission to study the Capitol riot. In January, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi argued for a such commission. She received pushback from Republicans, which effectively killed the idea.

The letter also urges Congress to form a commission similar to the one that investigated the 9/11 terror attacks and delivered a through report.

"A failure to deploy the full suite of tools available to fully understand January 6th and address its causes will leave the Capitol, and the nation, vulnerable to future attacks," the letter states.

Vindman retired from the Army after his testimony, citing "bullying" after testifying, according to USA Today.