WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s reported decision to hand over thousands of hours of security footage from the Jan. 6 attack to conservative Fox News host Tucker Carlson “poses grave security risks” to lawmakers and others who work in the Capitol.
And it could lead to another assault on the building, Schumer warned in a letter to Senate colleagues.
“The speaker is needlessly exposing the Capitol complex to one of the worst security risks since 9/11,” Schumer wrote. “The footage Speaker McCarthy is making available to Fox News is a treasure trove of closely held information about how the Capitol complex is protected and its public release would compromise the safety of the Legislative Branch and allow those who want to commit another attack to learn how Congress is safeguarded.”
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Releasing the security footage discloses the location of security cameras across the Capitol grounds, “making it harder and more dangerous for our brave Capitol police officers to do their job,” Schumer said. It also could reveal “highly guarded plans for the continuity of government” in the event of an attack.
“All things anyone who would want to harm our country would love to learn,” Schumer said.
During his show on Monday, Carlson told his viewers that he and his producers had gained access to roughly 44,000 hours of security camera footage taken from the Jan. 6 riot.
Axios and other news outlets have reported that McCarthy provided the Jan. 6 footage to Carlson, though NBC News has not independently verified that information. McCarthy’s office did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the matter.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Rebecca Shabad contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
