Numerous news organizations have filed a lawsuit to going access to surveillance footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack which was released exclusively to Fox News.
In February, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy granted top-rated Fox News host Tucker Carlson access to some 41,000 hours of footage.
“[T]here was never any legitimate reason for this footage to remain secret,” Carlson told Axios at the time. “If there was ever a question that's in the public's interest to know, it's what actually happened on January 6.” (RELATED: Speaker McCarthy Hands Thousands of Hours of Jan. 6 Coverage Over to Fox News Star)
“By definition, this video will reveal it,” Carlson said. “It's impossible for me to understand why any honest person would be bothered by that.”
U.S. Capitol Police previously said they shared 14,000 hours of sensitive footage with the Jan. 6 select committee.
According to The Hill, the lawsuit claims federal agencies have not produced the requested footage and is asking a D.C. judge to compel Fox News to share the footage.
“Plaintiffs have continued to press the Speaker's Office for access to the videos as quickly as possible and on equal terms with other media requestors, only to be told that the Speaker's Office will not even provide a timeline for when such access might begin,” the complaint states.
“That denial of access is a stark change of pace for these Plaintiffs, as over the past two years they have diligently, cooperatively, and successfully pursued and obtained access to thousands of videos of the Capitol riot that have been used as evidence or otherwise become judicial records in more than a hundred cases in this District against those charged with organizing or participating in the riot,” the lawsuit states.
McCarthy has adamantly defended having the footage over to the Fox News star.
“I said at the very beginning, transparency. And so what I wanted to produce for everybody is exactly what I said. The people could actually look at it and see what's gone on that day.”
The outlets included in the lawsuit are Advance Publications, The Associated Press, CNN, CBS, The E.W. Scripps Company, Gannett, The New York Times, Politico and ProPublica.
Others have also threatened lawsuits over the capitol footage. In February, Mike Lindell threatened to sue House Speaker McCarthy over his decision to hand the footage over to Carlson. (RELATED: Mike Lindell Says He'll Sue Kevin McCarthy for Slipping Jan. 6 Footage to Tucker Carlson)
“Why does just Fox get this? So they can cover it up even more? It's disgusting,” Lindell fumed on Steve Bannon's “War Room” podcast.
“We're gonna run this all the way to the Supreme Court,” Lindell added.
READ NEXT: Pro-Trump Attorney Enters California Senate Race
CNN etc etal would find a way for the footage to accidentally get lost.i guess they never had an exclusive report?