Dem Lawmaker Claims Capitol Raid Was an Inside Job

Rep. Mikie Sherrill is claiming that members of Congress led people through the Capitol on a "reconnaissance" mission a day before last week's riot. Sherrill, a New Jersey Democrat, took to Facebook Live on Tuesday to explain why she voted in favor of a resolution asking Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove President Trump from office. She said Trump had incited a mob in an attempt to overturn valid election results. She then referenced congressional colleagues who "abetted" the president, including those "who had groups coming through the Capitol that I saw on Jan. 5–a reconnaissance for the next day," per NorthJersey.com. She added, "I'm going to see they are held accountable, and if necessary, ensure that they don't serve in Congress."

These aren't the first whispers from Democrats of an inside job. "I've been told … by some other Congresspeople that their staff are saying that they saw people being allowed into the building through side doors," House Majority Whip James Clyburn said Friday, per Business Insider, concluding "somebody on the inside of those buildings were complicit in this." One leader of the Stop the Steal movement, Ali Alexander, has even claimed he worked with Reps. Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs of Arizona and Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama to put "maximum pressure on Congress while they were voting." But Biggs denies knowing anything of Alexander, per the New York Times. Sherrill hasn't said how she linked the Jan. 5 Capitol visits to the next day's riots or to "reconnaissance" actions. (More US Capitol stories.)