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House Republicans gathered on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to raise concerns about the well-being of Jan. 6 defendants currently imprisoned in the nation’s capital.
The inmates have been denied their constitutional rights and have endured harsh treatment, according to Reps. Louie Gohmert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Andy Biggs.
Recalling her visit to the jail, Greene stated that she witnessed men that were “filthy, dirty, and disgusting,” due to the prevention of proper hygiene.
In addition, Greene mentioned that the incarcerated protestors are without a “fair trial,” “decent food,” and “medical treatment.” For example, the Georgia-based congresswoman told the story of two men who were denied medical care for a mangled finger and a discolored arm.
Moreover, Greene stated that the protestors are being “politically persecuted” and used as “pawns” to deter conservatives from challenging the results of the 2020 election. Without any proof of guilt or judicial conclusion, the detainees have been held in “pre-trial” detention. In fact, one individual, Andrew Takke, was transferred to a maximum-security prison without a justifiable cause, according to the congresswoman.
Rep. Greene visited the D.C. correctional facility in November but the city’s mayor has since banned Republicans from touring the conditions. The Georgia congresswoman told Fox News’s Laura Ingraham that Mayor Muriel Bowser, D-D.C., is refusing to return any forms of attempted contact. “I’ve sent her a letter, I’ve called her, I’ve been to her office, and we are still getting no response,” stated Greene.
If they assume the majority after the midterm elections, Republican legislators of the House plan to investigate the ill-treatment of the Jan. 6 defendants.
Currently, Republicans are the minority of the House, therefore, they have limited power to do anything significant. However, “If we’re in the majority, I do believe the Judiciary Committee is the appropriate place to use compulsory tools to get those responses,” stated Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.
President Trump weighed in on the topic as well at a rally in Texas where he promised to treat the defendants fairly if he runs for president in 2024.
“If I run and if I win,” he said, “we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly. And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons. Because they are being treated so unfairly,” stated Trump.