The House Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol confirmed Thursday that it was reviewing the actions of Joint Chief of Staff Mark Milley and other Pentagon officials following reporting examining his maneuvering during former President Donald Trump’s final days in office.
A forthcoming book details how Milley twice called his Chinese counterpart following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to assure him Trump did not have plans to attack Beijing as part of a ploy to remain in power — sparking new calls for the general to resign.
The book “Peril,” by veteran journalist Bob Woodward and The Washington Post’s Robert Costa also claims that Milley moved to limit Trump’s ability to call for a military strike or launch nuclear weapons after the riot.
“The facts surrounding steps taken at the Pentagon to protect our security both before and after January 6th are a crucial area of focus for the Select Committee. Indeed, the Select Committee has sought records specifically related to these matters and we expect the Department of Defense to cooperate fully with our probe,” Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said in a statement.
Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Col. Dave Butler on Wednesday confirmed that Milley called his Chinese counterparts after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol but said those calls were routine.
Butler said in a statement that Milley regularly “communicates with Chiefs of Defense around the world, including China and Russia. These conversations remain vital to improving mutual understanding of U.S. national security interests, reducing tensions, providing clarity and avoiding unintended consequences or conflict.”
The committee pointed to an Aug. 24 request to the Department of Defense asking for a number of documents.
That includes asking for “all documents and communications from November 3, 2020, through January 20, 2021, relating to defying orders from the president” as well as any potential use of military power to impede or ensure the peaceful transfer of power before the Inauguration.
Milley, however, is mentioned by name only once in the four-page request, which asks for all documents relating to the discussion of the possibility of revoking permits for the planned Jan. 5 and 6 rallies.