A little over a month ago, the January 6 committee’s official Twitter account breathlessly shared allegedly damning footage from January 5, 2021, of GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk leading a group of tourists around areas that were stormed by rioters just one day later, on January 6, 2021.
Surveillance footage shows a tour led by Loudermilk to areas in the House Office Buildings, as well as the entrances to Capitol tunnels.
Individuals on the tour photographed/recorded areas not typically of interest to tourists: hallways, staircases and security checkpoints. pic.twitter.com/Rjhf2BTdbc
— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) June 15, 2022
What the committee failed to note, however, was that the Capitol Police had already contradicted that narrative just one day earlier.
Chief of Capitol Police YESTERDAY: “No evidence” Loudermilk entered Capitol on 1/5 with tour group. "We train our officers on being alert for people conducting surveillance or reconnaissance, and we do not consider any of the activities we observed as suspicious." pic.twitter.com/mzhPCOaDVO
— Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) June 15, 2022
Oops. Well, everyone makes mistakes! What’s important is that you learn from them.
Unfortunately, it would appear that the January 6 committee hasn’t learned anything about why it’s wrong to be dishonest, because yesterday, they were right back up to their old tricks:
On January 9th, two of President Trump’s top campaign officials texted each other about the President’s glaring silence on the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who succumbed to his injuries the night of January 7th. pic.twitter.com/vh4v7qwQYp
— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) July 22, 2022
“Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who succumbed to his injuries the night of January 7th.”
Officer Sicknick indeed passed away the day after the Capitol riots, but on what basis, exactly, is the committee claiming that he died as a result of injuries he sustained at the hands of protesters? We know that was the prevailing narrative for a while, but we also know that the medical examiner didn’t find evidence to support that narrative and reached a very different conclusion about Sicknick’s death:
The medical examiner spent ~100 days & concluded Officer Brian Sicknick's “cause of death” was “acute brainstem & cerebellar infarcts due to acute basilar artery thrombosis” — a stroke — & his “manner of death” was “natural.” (definitions in next tweet…)https://t.co/NXYhcpkbR2 https://t.co/zDCQW5H0Nh pic.twitter.com/1oP3Mqo26Y
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) July 22, 2022
Medical Examiner: “Natural: Used when disease alone causes death. *If death is hastened by an injury, the manner of death isn’t considered natural*.” (Emphasis mine) It’s not me concluding Sicknick cause of death was stroke & manner of death natural & not me defining it—it’s M.E.
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) July 22, 2022
Jan. 6th committee says Sicknick "succumbed to his injuries" after riot. Medical examiner said 1) death "natural" via stroke, 2) “all that transpired played a role in his condition", & 3) no evidence of allergic reaction nor of internal/external injuries.https://t.co/NXYhcpkbR2 pic.twitter.com/YAVueZdIHP
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) July 22, 2022
If Sicknick’s death was a direct result of assault by the rioters, the medical examiner missed it. Which means that the January 6 committee is perpetuating a narrative that, based on the available evidence, is inaccurate. Color us shocked.
And again, this wasn't a Trump admin ME or anything. This was DC's. The ME would have no reason to lie and, in fact, would have more reason to say he was killed in the riot, had that been true. https://t.co/VE5HUclq5n
— RIP Terez Paylor 🙏 (@Th3Claude) July 22, 2022
It’s still possible that Sicknick’s death was related to something he experienced during the Capitol riots. But without concrete evidence, the January 6 committee has no business claiming that Sicknick “succumbed to his injuries.” If the January 6 committee’s case is as compelling and convincing as they claim, they shouldn’t have to resort to stuff like this.
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