January 1, Watchdog group requests ethics investigation over GOP retaliation threats

A watchdog group is calling for an investigation into House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) for violating rules by threatening retaliation against communications companies who comply with records requests.

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riots requested documents from 35 tech and communications firms. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) argue that both McCarthy and Greene violated House rules by threatening to retaliate against companies that turn over the documents.

“If these companies comply with the Democrat order to turn over private information, they are in violation of federal law and subject to losing their ability to operate in the United States,” McCarthy wrote. “If companies still choose to violate federal law, a Republican majority will not forget and will stand with Americans to hold them fully accountable under the law.”

McCarthy did not specify which federal law he was referring to.

“If these telecommunications companies, if they go along with this, they will be shut down. And that’s a promise,” Greene said.

CREW filed an official complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics.

“Threatening retaliation for complying with legally valid document demands and preservation requests appears to violate 18 U.S.C. § 1505, which prohibits obstructing congressional investigations, and does not reflect creditably on the House,” the complaint read.

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Watchdog group seeks ethics probe over McCarthy’s Jan. 6 comments.