Washington, D.C. – In a blistering revival of 2024 election grievances, House Republicans intensified calls this week for treason charges against members of the disbanded January 6 Select Committee, accusing them of a “cover-up” that “stole” the narrative from the Capitol riot. The uproar, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), coincides with the GOP’s new subcommittee probing the panel’s work, vowing to “expose the lies” that allegedly persecuted Trump allies.
Jordan, chairing the House Judiciary’s weaponization panel, demanded Attorney General Pam Bondi investigate Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), and others for “suppressing exculpatory evidence.” Citing Tucker Carlson’s 2023 Fox broadcasts of unreleased Capitol footage – showing peaceful moments amid the chaos – Jordan argued the committee “knowingly hid videos” to frame Trump as an insurrectionist. “This was fraud on the American people – treasonous betrayal of their oath,” he thundered during a September 20 hearing, echoing Trump’s March 2023 Truth Social post: “They should be tried for Fraud and Treason.”
The committee, which issued criminal referrals against Trump in December 2022 for inciting the riot, has been a lightning rod since its dissolution. Biden’s preemptive pardons on January 20, 2025, shielded its nine members and staff from federal probes, but state-level scrutiny persists. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) filed a resolution for their expulsion, branding Cheney a “RINO traitor” who “aided enemies of the Republic.” Supporters, including Trump at a recent Mar-a-Lago rally, hail it as justice for the “J6 hostages” – over 1,200 charged, with Trump pardoning hundreds upon inauguration.
Democrats fired back, with Thompson calling the accusations “baseless revenge porn” from a “loser” who can’t accept 2020’s verdict. Legal experts note treason, punishable by death under 18 U.S.C. § 2381, requires “levying war” or aiding enemies – a bar unmet by legislative omissions. The Speech or Debate Clause further shields lawmakers from prosecution for official acts.
As the 2026 midterms loom, this crusade risks eroding congressional norms, pitting retribution against accountability in Trump’s America. Will Bondi’s DOJ act, or fizzle like past threats? The ghost of January 6 haunts on, demanding: truth or vendetta?
