Republican Trump critic recruited to Capitol riot inquiry

Adam Kinzinger joins the committee after Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected two Republican selections.

Adam Kinzinger voted to impeach Donald Trump. Picture: AFP

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has named Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois and critic of former president Donald Trump, to serve on a select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

He joins Liz Cheney of Wyoming as the only Republicans on the committee. Ms Pelosi last Wednesday rejected two other Republicans close to Mr Trump: Jim Banks of Indiana, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, and Jim Jordan of Ohio, the top Republican on the house judiciary committee. The move prompted minority leader Kevin McCarthy to pull his other three selections for the committee.

House GOP leadership has opposed the formation of the committee, calling it a political exercise and pointing to continuing law-enforcement probes as adequate.

“The Speaker has structured this select committee to satisfy her political objectives,” said Mr McCarthy in a statement following Mr Kinzinger’s appointment. “She had months to work with Republicans on a reasonable and fair approach to get answers on the events and security failures surrounding January 6. Instead, she has played politics.”

Ms. Pelosi said Mr Kinzinger “brings great patriotism to the Committee’s mission: to find the facts and protect our Democracy”.

Mr Kinzinger and Ms Cheney both voted to impeach Mr Trump for inciting insurrection after January 6. The Senate acquitted him in February.

The committee has subpoena power to investigate what led to the attack and to examine the response of Capitol Police and other law-enforcement agencies. The panel also has the ability to examine government intelligence collection, analysis and the dissemination ahead of January 6.

The Wall Street Journal