Rolling Stone published a story Sunday night reporting that some of the planners of the January 6 pro-Trump rally on the Ellipse in DC were cooperating with congressional investigators and, according to two rally organizers the magazine spoke to, are saying that several Congressional members were “intimately involved” in the planning of the events taking place that day, which eventually turned violent. The representatives named in the article include Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).
The article by Hunter Walker says the two witnesses claim that these members or their top staffers were directly involved in conversations planning the event that day. According to the article, “While there have been prior indications that members of Congress were involved, this is also the first account detailing their purported role and its scope. The two sources also claim they interacted with members of Trump’s team, including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who they describe as having had an opportunity to prevent the violence.”
Perhaps the most explosive claim is one about Rep. Gosar: “Both sources say he dangled the possibility of a ‘blanket pardon’ in an unrelated ongoing investigation to encourage them to plan the protests.” One of the witnesses told Rolling Stone they thought the pardon was a “done deal” and “that he’d spoken to the president about it in the Oval.”
Of the members of Congress named, only Greene provided comment to Rolling Stone. Her communications director Nick Dyer told them via email: “Congresswoman Greene and her staff were focused on the Congressional election objection on the House floor and had nothing to do with planning of any protest.”
There’s been a good deal of reaction across social media. Here’s a taste of what’s been said so far:
They tried to overthrow the government, they had a plan, they executed it, and they broke many laws along the way. And the leader of the Party is going to run again. This problem won’t naturally fade away – it must be confronted. https://t.co/b9GtTplDlJ
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) October 25, 2021
What should we call the 7 members of Congress who led organizing efforts for January 6, per the Rolling Stone piece?
Cawthorn, Biggs, Boebert, Brooks, Gohmert, Gosar, Greene
The #Insurrection7 …? We need a good hashtag.
— Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) October 25, 2021
I didn't have Rolling Stone with 1st to report on Jan 6 witnesses on my 2021 bingo card, but proceed with caution here, the witnesses seem to say the plan was for a vote in Congress, not violence at the Capitol. Jan 6 Comm has lots of work to do. https://t.co/xnSGrU6hN2
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) October 25, 2021
The call was always coming from inside the house. But I’m also old enough to remember when @AOC said she didn’t trust folks to help her to safety because she feared it was an inside job. But y’all called her paranoid. This was an active coup that needs to be prosecuted thoroughly https://t.co/1oc9IIDueT
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 25, 2021
I remember this tweet from the day of the insurrection and I’m curious what the people who believe that there is “no evidence” that planners anticipated violence at the Capitol, based on the Rolling Stone report, think about it. *Someone* involved was in touch with the rioters 👇🏽 https://t.co/FjGkRSbJQn
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) October 25, 2021
Damn, Rolling Stone's list of TOP 100 GOP INSURRECTIONISTS THAT STILL WORK IN CONGRESS is another classic. Every name is a banger. https://t.co/LeCJ4ew33v
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) October 25, 2021