US Capitol attack investigators seek to question Fox News host Sean Hannity
- The January 6 panel is looking for information on the Trump ally’s communications with the former president and his inner circle
- Trump, meanwhile, has cancelled a news conference originally planned for Thursday, the one-year anniversary of the attack
The House panel investigating the January 6 US Capitol insurrection on Tuesday requested an interview with Fox News personality Sean Hannity, one of former president Donald Trump’s closest allies in the media, as the committee continues to widen its scope.
In a letter to Hannity, Mississippi congressman Bennie Thompson, Democratic chairman of the panel, said the panel wants to question him regarding his communications with Trump, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and others in Trump’s orbit in the days surrounding the insurrection.
A Fox News spokesperson declined to comment on the request. Jay Sekulow, Hannity’s lawyer, told Axios, “If true, any such request would raise serious constitutional issues including First Amendment concerns regarding freedom of the press.”
Sekulow later said he had not seen Thompson’s letter.
In his letter, Thompson said: “The Select Committee has immense respect for the First Amendment to our Constitution, freedom of the press, and the rights of Americans to express their political opinions freely.
“For that reason, we do not intend to seek information from you regarding your broadcasts on radio or television, your public reporting or commentary, or your political views regarding any candidate for office.”