"Heads have to roll": Paul Gosar teases prosecution of Liz Cheney and Jan. 6 investigators

"I would not leave it at just that. I think there's also military that are involved," Gosar said

Published March 13, 2023 3:46PM (EDT)

Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., called for the prosecution of the members of the House Jan. 6 committee in an interview on Sunday.

A reporter at the far-right Gateway Pundit blog asked Gosar if there is "a chance that you guys could prosecute certain members of Congress or former members of Congress over January 6" like former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., even though Congress has no prosecutorial power.

Gosar, who played a key role in stoking right-wing anger ahead of the Capitol riot, agreed and suggested that it is not just Jan. 6 committee members that he believes should be prosecuted.

"I would not leave it at just that, Gosar said. "I think there's also military that are involved. And I think that their, you know, heads have to roll. Otherwise, you condone this lawlessness, and that's what America sees."

Asked if he is looking into launching investigations into Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley or Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Gosar replied, "stay tuned."

Gosar, who was stripped of his committee assignments last Congress after posting an animated video depicting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., being killed, was seated on the House Oversight Committee earlier this year. 

Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., the chairman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, last week announced a probe into the Jan. 6 investigation.

"We've got to get through the documents. We need to do some interviews with people. But at some point, we will have some hearings," Loudermilk told The Hill.


Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.


The congressman said it's unclear whether the panel will interview members of the Jan. 6 committee and whether they may face subpoenas. 

"I would hope that, you know, they'd just come and talk," he told the outlet. "This is not going to be a gotcha. This is getting to the truth."

Cheney on Twitter responded to the probe by telling her former Republican colleagues, "bring it on."

"Let's replay every witness & all the evidence from last year," Cheney wrote. "But this time, those members who sought pardons and/or hid from subpoenas should sit on the dais so they can be confronted on live TV with the unassailable evidence."


By Gabriella Ferrigine

Gabriella Ferrigine is a former staff writer at Salon. Originally from the Jersey Shore, she moved to New York City in 2016 to attend Columbia University, where she received her B.A. in English and M.A. in American Studies. Formerly a staff writer at NowThis News, she has an M.A. in Magazine Journalism from NYU and was previously a news fellow at Salon.

MORE FROM Gabriella Ferrigine


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Brief Capitol Riot January 6 Liz Cheney Paul Gosar Politics