Rep. Bennie Thompson deals with ‘suspicious’ mail as he prepares for another high-profile Jan. 6 hearing

by Bobby Harrison, Mississippi Today
October 12, 2022

A suspicious package was delivered to the Washington office of Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson as he prepares to lead another hearing investigating efforts of former President Donald Trump and his supporters to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election.

What is being called the last Jan. 6 Committee hearing before the November midterm elections is scheduled to begin at noon on Thursday. It is slated to be aired by most cable news channels, but not Fox, and will again focus on efforts of Trump supporters to invade the U.S. Capitol to try to block Congress from certifying the election results.

READ MORE: ‘An attempted coup’: Rep. Bennie Thompson tells the world what happened on Jan. 6, 2021

Against that backdrop, various national news outlets reported on Tuesday that law enforcement descended on Thompson’s congressional office after a suspicious package was found. Thompson has been in the national news throughout the year as chair of the Jan. 6 Committee. He was appointed to the post by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Late Tuesday, the Democrat and only second African American from Mississippi to serve in Congress in the modern era, said on social media, “A suspicious package was delivered to my office in D.C., and it is under investigation. All the staffers in my office are safe. We will continue to monitor the issue and update you all with more information.”

A report by CNBC said the U.S. Capitol police investigated mail containing “concerning language” and possible “suspicious powder or substance.” Reports concluded that no dangerous substance was found in the letter.

Thompson has been outspoken in his belief that the depth and seriousness of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol should be revealed for the nation to see. Most Republican politicians in Washington, including members of the state’s congressional delegation with the exception of Rep. Michael Guest, opposed the investigation.

READ MORE: Rep. Bennie Thompson’s Mississippi colleagues have no comment on his Jan. 6 hearings

The committee already has found bombshell evidence, including testimony that Trump tried to go to the Capitol as his supporters were invading on Jan. 6 and that he rejected pleas for hours by Republican elected officials and members of his staff to make a statement to stop the attack.

“We still have significant information that we have not shown to the public,” Thompson told The New York Times.

Among the topics that could be discussed Thursday include information gathered by documentary filmmakers, the role of the Secret Service on that day as Trump expressed interest in going to the Capitol and possible details of the testimony of Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Ginni Thomas testified to the committee behind closed doors.

She supported efforts to throw out the votes of millions of people to ensure Trump was reelected. Her husband was the only member of the nation’s high court to oppose efforts to provide texts such as his wife’s to the committee.

PODCAST: Rep. Bennie Thompson discusses Jan. 6 committee work

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.