Mikie Sherrill alleges lawmakers gave groups ‘reconnaissance’ tours through Capitol ahead of riots

Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, described viewing “members of Congress who experienced groups coming by the Capitol that I saw on Jan. 5 for reconnaissance for the future working day.”

“I’m likely to see that they are held accountable,” Sherrill additional.

Sherrill did not particularly determine which lawmakers she saw leading groups by way of the Capitol. Her business office did not promptly respond to a message from The Washington Submit late Tuesday. The FBI and the U.S. Capitol Law enforcement also did not straight away respond to messages about no matter whether the companies are investigating the assert.

Sherrill, a next-time period lawmaker who signifies northern New Jersey, invested virtually 10 many years on active duty as a helicopter pilot traveling missions across Europe and the Middle East.

That afternoon, Sherrill recounted, she learned from messages on her telephone that Vice President Pence experienced been escorted to security. Shortly just after that, she mentioned, Pelosi was rushed to a secure place.

“We attempted to go on the debate,” Sherrill claimed. “That became unattainable as crowds collected and started out banging on the doorways, so we ended up informed to get out the fuel masks in circumstance we had to egress.”

Quickly, Sherrill and her colleagues crouched on the flooring for safety. She watched as some lawmakers referred to as kinfolk “afraid that would be the previous contact that they at any time created.” Sherrill claimed she identified as her spouse to let him know she would soon stroll to a safe and sound home.

“We ended up worried that at just about every corner we would discover the mob,” Sherrill explained, referencing the evacuation.

Sherrill accused President Trump of inciting the attack to “ensure that we could not have a tranquil transfer of electricity.” She also blamed GOP lawmakers who “abetted” Trump, and “those users of Congress who incited the violent crowd, those people customers of Congress that attempted to assist our president undermine our democracy.”

“We can not have a democracy if users of Congress are actively assisting the president overturn the election outcomes,” she claimed.