January 6 committee asks GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk for info about Capitol tour before assault

Washington — Lawmakers on the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol have asked Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia to voluntarily provide information regarding a tour they say he led through parts of the Capitol complex the day before the assault.

Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, and Vice Chair Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, told Loudermilk in a letter Thursday that they believe he has information regarding the January 5 tour, which they said "raises questions to which the select committee must seek answers."

The lawmakers said public reporting and witness accounts indicate some people and groups sought to gather information about the layout of the Capitol and House and Senate office buildings ahead of January 6, when lawmakers convened for a joint session of Congress to tally state electoral votes and reaffirm President Biden's win. Democrats have accused Republicans of leading so-called "reconnaissance tours" of people who then breached the Capitol on January 6.