Speaker Mike Johnson to ‘Immediately’ Release January 6 Footage

Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) announced Friday he would start “immediately” releasing the U.S. Capitol Police’s January 6 footage as one of his first significant moves since assuming the House speakership.

The previously withheld tapes showing exactly what happened at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, will be posted on a public website starting Friday. Approximately 44,000 hours of footage will be made available once most of the footage is published over time, Johnson said in a statement.

“This decision will provide millions of Americans, criminal defendants, public interest organizations, and the media an ability to see for themselves what happened that day, rather than having to rely upon the interpretation of a small group of government officials,” he added.

The House leader noted the tapes will show blurred faces to “avoid any persons from being targeted for retaliation of any kind.” Five percent of the footage won’t be released because it “may involve sensitive security information related to the building architecture,” Johnson said.