The Jan. 6 select committee suppressed testimony from former White House deputy chief of staff Anthony Ornato that proves former President Donald Trump was "willing to ask for" 10,000 National Guard troops to safeguard the nation's capital on Jan. 6, 2021, according to Rep. Barry Loudermilk, chairman of the Committee on House Administration's Subcommittee on Oversight.
The Georgia Republican released the transcribed interview Friday in a press release.
But the charges were refuted by media watchdog PolitiFact, which noted, citing Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and other committee members, that Ornato's January 2022 interview transcript was not publicly released until recently for security reasons.
When interviewed by the select committee on Jan. 28, 2022, Ornato was asked whether he recalled "any discussion prior to the 6th about whether and how many National Guard troops to deploy on January 6th."
Ornato replied that he remembered a conversation between White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser.
"I remember he had — he was on the phone with her, and we — I had walked in for something, and I was there, and he was on the phone with her and wanted to make sure she had everything that she needed. Because I think it was the concern of anti and pro groups clashing is what I recall. And not anywhere near the Capitol, this was just out on the mall area or at the event; and wanted to know if she need[ed] any more guardsmen," Ornato said.
"And I remember the number 10,000 coming up of, you know, the President wants to make sure that you have enough. You know, he is willing to ask for 10,000. I remember that number. Now that you said it, it reminded me of it. And that she was all set. She had, I think it was like 350 or so for intersection control and those types of thing not in the law enforcement capacity at the time," he continued.
"And then that's the only thing I recall with that number 10,000 National Guard guardsmen."
The distinction between the select committee's findings and Ornato's testimony turns on the word "order."
In its report, the select committee wrote: "Some have suggested that President Trump gave an order to have 10,000 troops ready for January 6th. The Select Committee found no evidence of this."
While the select committee said Trump did not "order" 10,000 troops to be deployed, Ornato testified that he heard Meadows say the president was "willing to ask for 10,000," Loudermilk countered.
"The former J6 Select Committee apparently withheld Mr. Ornato's critical witness testimony from the American people because it contradicted their pre-determined narrative," Loudermilk said Friday in a statement.
"Mr. Ornato's testimony proves what Mr. Meadows has said all along, President Trump did in fact offer 10,000 National Guard troops to secure the U.S. Capitol, which was turned down.
"This is just one example of important information the former Select Committee hid from the public because it contradicted what they wanted the American people to believe. And, this is exactly why my investigation is committed to uncovering all the facts, no matter the outcome."
But PolitiFact reported that the transcript aligns with the select committee’s conclusion that Trump didn't order the deployment of 10,000 National Guard troops before or during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.
"As part of the select committee’s investigation, the committee members and staff interviewed Ornato and Secret Service personnel," PolitiFact reported. "Ornato left the Secret Service in 2019 to become Trump’s deputy chief of staff and was still in that role Jan. 6, 2021."
Moreoever, the select committee was "obligated to return certain Secret Service transcripts," including this Ornato transcript, to the Department of Homeland Security "for redaction of sensitive security information before public release," Rep. Raskin told PolitiFact.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., also confirmed this with PolitiFact.
Ornato testified that "even though the Mayor didn't want any more National Guard in D.C., that a request was made to have kind of a, lack of better term, a quick reaction force [QRF] out at Joint Base Andrews being that it was a military installation."
As events unfolded on Jan. 6, Ornato recounted Meadows urging Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller to deploy the QRF.
"So then I remember the chief saying, hey, I'm calling Secretary of Defense to get that QRF in here," Ornato testified. Ornato got Miller on the phone for Meadows. "And then I remember the chief telling Miller, get them in here, get them in here to secure the Capitol now. And that's where I remember the National Guard being, you know, ordered by the chief."
The Federalist reported that the Jan. 6 Committee had suppressed exonerating evidence and that former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., was present during the interview and asked questions of Ornato.
Cheney frequently points to the Government Publishing Office website that she says posted "transcripts, documents, exhibits & our meticulously sourced 800+ page final report," The Federalist reported, noting that the "supporting documents" include only those that back up claims made by Cheney and others who are anti-Trump.