Hakeem Jeffries slams House Republicans for providing Fox News with Jan. 6 tapes: ‘Egregious security breach’

House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Tuesday slammed his Republican colleagues for what he called their “egregious security breach” by providing Fox News host Tucker Carlson with security footage of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol Building.

In a letter to his Democratic House colleagues, Jeffries argued that the transfer of some 44,000 hours of video footage from the day of the riot to Carlson and his producers “endangers” Capitol Police, members of Congress, and staff at the Capitol Building.

“I write with respect to public reports that extreme MAGA Republicans in the House have provided tens of thousands of hours of sensitive Capitol security footage to a FOX News personality who regularly peddles conspiracy theories and Pro-Putin rhetoric,” Jeffries states in the letter. 

“The apparent transfer of video footage represents an egregious security breach that endangers the hardworking women and men of the United States Capitol Police, who valiantly defended our democracy with their lives at risk on that fateful day,” the New York Democrat added.  

Fox News confirmed to The Post on Monday that “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Fox News and “Tucker Carlson Today” and “Tucker Carlson Originals” on the Fox Nation streaming service have been given access to the massive trove of footage by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Carlson said on his show Monday that his producers have been reviewing the footage “for about a week,” and that he plans to air some of it starting next week.

Jeffries said Tuesday that the Democratic Caucus will hear from Reps. Joe Morelle (D-NY), the ranking member on the House Administration Committee, and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the former head of the House Jan. 6 committee, on matters related to the footage transfer “as we deal with the potential national security implications of this reported breach.” 

“Over the past two years, the bipartisan Members of the January 6th Committee were able to diligently review the security footage in question, with numerous protocols in place to protect the safety of the Members, police officers and staff who were targeted during the violent insurrection. There is no indication that these same precautionary measures have been taken in connection with the transmission of the video footage at issue,” Jeffries claimed.  

“Unfortunately, the apparent disclosure of sensitive video material is yet another example of the grave threat to the security of the American people represented by the extreme MAGA Republican majority,” he added. 

On Monday, Thompson also warned of “security risks” related to Carlson’s producers being given access to the tapes. 

“It’s hard to overstate the potential security risks if this material were to be used irresponsibly,” Thompson said in a statement.

“If Speaker McCarthy has indeed granted Tucker Carlson — a Fox host who routinely spreads misinformation and Putin’s poisonous propaganda — and his producers access to this sensitive footage, he owes the American people an explanation of why he has done so and what steps he has taken to address the significant security concerns at stake,” Thompson added.