McCarthy’s phone records among those eyed by Jan. 6 investigators

“It is unfortunate how unserious and political Bennie Thompson has made this inquiry,” McCarthy spokesman Mark Bednar said in a statement Thursday. “A serious inquiry that was not politically motivated would be looking at why the Capitol was left so unprepared and how to prevent this from happening in the future – and an authoritarian unconstitutional attempt to rifle through individuals’ call logs will not help answer that question.”

A Jan. 6 select panel aide declined to comment on the inclusion of McCarthy’s name on the records preservation request, which was first reported by CNN. The aide said the list of individuals whose records the panel sought had not changed since it was sent on Monday to nearly three dozen companies, ranging from Apple to Verizon.

The panel is continuing to escalate its investigation even as the House takes its summer recess. Thompson announced Thursday morning he had appointed Rep. Liz Cheney, one of only two Republicans on the panel, as its vice chair, a further elevation of the Wyoming conservative by Democrats that comes as she remains on the outs with many House GOP colleagues.

Olivia Beavers contributed to this report.