CNN Anchor Presses Jan. 6 Committee Member Zoe Lofgren In Tense On-Air Exchange

CNN anchor Brianna Keilar went after Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), a member of the Jan. 6 House select committee, over the investigative panel’s referral of a number of Republicans to the House Ethics Committee ― rather than the Justice Department ― after the GOP lawmakers didn’t comply with its subpoenas.

The select committee charged with investigating the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, referred House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) to the House Ethics Committee on Monday.

The move to refer their cases to the Ethics Committee, which has an even number of Democrats and Republicans, comes as Republicans are set to take over control of the House next month. McCarthy is favored to become speaker, and it’s unlikely its GOP members will agree to investigate fellow Republicans.

The committee has referred other cases of people who failed to comply with its subpoenas, including those of former President Donald Trump’s associates Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, to the Justice Department, Mediaite noted.

Keilar pressed Lofgren on the select committee’s decision to refer the lawmakers’ cases to the Ethics Committee.

“Why did you do that knowing that nothing will come of that?” Keilar asked.

Lofgren said she believed something will come of the referrals, but Keilar pressed back and said the congresswoman knows Republicans are not going to take action against Republicans.

“So the effect of sending this referral to the Ethics Committee is for it to die in that committee. Why do that?” Keilar continued.

You can listen to Lofgren’s thoughts on how the Ethics Committee will respond in the video below.