On August 6, 2021, Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat) announced more members of the January 6th Committee. One was Denver Riggleman, and the other was Joseph Maher. They were selected to join what a press release on the January 6th Committee’s website described as a “nonpartisan” Select Committee. Later, Timothy J. Heaphy was selected Chief Investigative Counsel for the January 6th Committee.
Business Insider described Representative Denver Riggleman as a “former GOP”. According to Business Insider, Denver Riggleman, “who was elected to Congress in 2018 to represent Virginia’s 5th district, was defeated in a drive-thru GOP summer primary election last year (2020) after he drew the ire of conservatives by officiating a same-sex wedding in 2019.
In the 2020 general election, he was replaced by now-Rep. Bob Good, a social conservative and staunch ally of former President Donald Trump.
Business Insider
Business Insider also described Denver Riggleman as “an outspoken critic of Trump”. He left office “just days before the Jan. 6 riot which saw that Capitol breached by pro-Trump rioters seeking to stop the certification of now-President Joe Biden’s Electoral College Victory.”
The January 6th Committee’s press release describes Denver Riggleman this way:
Denver Riggleman previously served as United States Representative for the 5th District of Virginia. During his time in Congress, Mr. Riggleman sat on the Financial Services Committee. His national security background includes serving as an intelligence officer for the United States Air Force (USAF) where he deployed for multiple operations including directly following 9/11 and was posted to the National Security Agency. He is currently CEO of Riggleman Information and Intelligence Group, which supports technology in the domestic counter-terrorism space.
January 6th Committee
Information about Joseph B. Maher is on the official website of the Department of Homeland Security. The post was published on February 4, 2021. At the time it was posted, it described Joseph B. Maher as “the Principal Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Maher advises the Secretary and other senior leaders on a wide array of homeland security and other matters.”
Mr. Maher joined the Department shortly after its creation in 2003, and has served there in a number of legal positions, including as the Deputy General Counsel, the Associate Counsel for Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, and as a legal advisor to the Department’s Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Department of Homeland Security
The January 6th Committee’s press release describes Joseph Maher this way:
Joe Maher joins the staff on a detail from the Department of Homeland Security, where he has served as Principal Deputy General Counsel since 2011. Mr. Maher joined the Department shortly after it was created during the George W. Bush Administration. Mr. Maher also served in the Office of the Solicitor at the Department of Labor from 2002 to 2003, as an attorney at Sidley Austin, and as a law clerk for Honorable E. Grady Jolly, who was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit by President Reagan.
January 6th Committee
Chairman of the January 6th Committee, Bennie G. Thompson, provided a quote for the press release:
“I thank these two public servants for their willingness to support the Select Committee’s important work by joining our nonpartisan staff. They understand how close our democracy was to a catastrophe on January 6th and I commend their commitment to help ensure we never see a repeat of that day. In addition to being a former House colleague, Mr. Riggleman brings a deep background in national security and intelligence matters. Mr. Maher has distinguished himself across his career as a public servant, and I am grateful to Representative Cheney for recommending that he join our team. These two individuals will provide valuable insight and expertise as we piece together what happened on January 6th and in the time leading up to it.”
On August 12, 2021, Chairman Bennie G. Thompson announced that Timothy J. Heaphy, University Counsel at the University of Virginia, would take a leave of absence from his position to serve as Chief Investigative Counsel for the Select Committee. Mr. Heaphy previously served as United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.
The University of Virginia posted an article titled: “UVA’s Timothy J Heaphy Named Top Investigator For Select Committee On Jan. 6 Capitol Attack”. It was written by McGregor McCance. The article provides some background on Timothy J. Heaphy.
…Heaphy was named UVA counsel and senior assistant attorney general in 2018. Attorneys in the Office of University Counsel are appointed by the attorney general of Virginia and represent the University on legal matters affecting University operations and interest. He is a former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, appointed by President Obama in 2009 and serving through 2014. Before joining the University, as a partner of the law firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth, Heaphy conducted a comprehensive independent review of the August 11-12, 2017 mass demonstration events at the University and in Charlottesville for the City of Charlottesville…
University of Virginia
Chairman Bennie G. Thompson provided a quote for a press release on the January 6th Committee website:
“It’s good news for the Select Committee and for the American people that Mr. Heaphy has agreed to come onboard as our top investigator. Mr. Heaphy is a committed public servant with deep experience tackling complex and high-profile challenges. The Committee will need his expertise as we push ahead quickly on a number of fronts. I’m grateful for his willingness to support the Committee’s work getting answers about January 6th and protecting our democracy”.
More Members of the January 6th Committee is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites.
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