Jan. 6 select committee seeks phone records of lawmakers, others related to the Capitol breach

The select committee is in the process of asking social media and telecommunications companies to preserve relevant documents
Washington D.C. Capitol fence.

The select committee investigating the Jan. 6 capitol breach is seeking electronic communication records related to the incident, including some from lawmakers.

Mississippi Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the Democrat-run select committee, said Monday the panel is sending letters to social media and phone companies requesting the preservation of relevant documents.

"I won't give you the names (of the companies). But, you know, in terms of telecom companies, they're the ones that pretty much you already know, maybe the networks, the social media platforms, those kinds of things," he said.

The records, which Democrats are hoping to obtain without the use of subpoenas, may shed light on Jan. 6 conversations between GOP members of Congress and then-President Trump.

In particular, some Democrats believe the records will expose Reps. Jim Jordan and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as "material witnesses" to the breach. McCarthy reportedly urged Trump to public tells supporters to back down as the siege grew more violent. 

The House Oversight Committee has previously uncovered some warnings delivered to the FBI prior to the attack from social media companies including Parler. 

The panel is now  deciding on what the focus of its next hearing will be. Its initial public hearing focused on the highly emotional testimonies of four police officers who responded to the incident.