Rep. Nehls Demands Answers on the Death of Ashli Babbitt

Washington, DC — Today, Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) sent letters to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Chief of Police for the United States Capitol Police demanding the parties to release all internal investigation documents regarding the death of Ms. Ashli Babbitt on January 6, 2021. These letters follow a report that came out citing 'no good intent' for the killing of Ms. Babbitt by House Chamber Security Detail Lieutenant Michael Byrd. In the letters, Congressman Nehls raised deep concerns about the lack of transparency and mishandlings of the investigation since the very beginning.

"I, along with millions of other Americans who have followed this investigation closely are deeply concerned by the lack of transparency exhibited by the U.S Attorney's Office and the U.S. Department of Justice," Congressman Nehls wrote. "Many believe, as I do, that this case should have been presented to a federal grand jury and was mishandled from the very beginning. We are demanding that the U.S. Attorney's Office immediately release the Criminal Investigators case files and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys' case files. We also demand that the Department of Justice release the case files and further explain the reluctance to continue the investigation of LT. Boyd."

Congressman Nehls also questioned the departments findings that there was no evidence that LT. Byrd's use of lethal force against Ms. Babbitt was unjustified, despite the fact that Ms. Babbitt was unarmed on the day of the incident.

"I have personally reviewed the documents relating to the January 6th incident and seriously question the U.S. Attorney's Office's conclusions," Congressman Nehls wrote. "Based on my extensive law enforcement experience, I see nothing that could have possibly justified the lethal use of force against Ms. Babbitt on January 6th, 2021. If Ms. Babbitt were still alive today, would the federal charges levied against her ever warrant the use of deadly force? It is simply implausible that a single unarmed individual crawling through a broken window could have presented such a serious life and death threat to LT Byrd or Members of Congress. How can the negligent use of deadly force not infringe on an individual's civil rights?"

Read the full text of the letter sent to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice here.

Read the full text of the letter sent to USPC Chief of Police here.