Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) recently raised questions about former Rep. Liz Cheney's awareness of FBI activities during the Capitol unrest of Jan. 6, 2021.

The release of a Justice Department Inspector General report revealing 26 FBI sources present on Jan. 6 has sparked controversy, particularly surrounding Cheney's previous dismissals of related inquiries, with Lee now seeking answers, as the Washington Examiner reports.

Following the publication of the Inspector General's findings, Lee voiced concerns on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures.

He challenged Cheney's prior rejections of questions regarding FBI involvement on that day, labeling her responses as dismissive and potentially misleading.

Lee Explores Cheney's Involvement, Knowledge

Lee emphasized that the Inspector General's report corroborated existing suspicions regarding government assets deployed during the Capitol unrest.

He found it peculiar that Cheney, who had access to extensive information as a member of the Jan. 6 committee, previously criticized those questioning the FBI's role.

On the program, Lee questioned, "But what I do know is this: It’s very strange that she would call people who were raising these questions nut jobs, nut cases, whatever it is that she wanted to say, when she herself, a member of this Jan. 6 investigative committee, had access to a lot of information," highlighting a significant disconnect between Cheney's public statements and her potential knowledge of the events.

Cheney's Response and Public Debate

Cheney responded to Lee's comments on the social media platform X by labeling him "a nutball conspiracy theorist." This led to a fiery exchange between the two, with Lee defending his inquiries based on the Inspector General's revelations.

Lee retorted on X, asserting that the report "confirmed that I had good reasons to ask these questions" and sarcastically added that he was "ready to accept her apology" should Cheney choose to offer one.

Potential Impact on Future Presidential Pardons

The debate over the FBI's role on Jan. 6 extends beyond just Lee and Cheney. It has stirred discussions regarding preemptive pardons, with Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) advising against such a precedent.

Schiff's concerns were communicated to the current administration as President Joe Biden prepares to leave office.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also weighed in, urging careful consideration of pardons in light of President-elect Donald Trump's potential willingness to prosecute members of the Jan. 6 committee, framing these threats as indicative of authoritarian tendencies.

Allegations of Missing Evidence

Further complicating matters, Lee suggested that evidence may have been destroyed or gone missing during the Jan. 6 committee's operations.

He noted that upon the Republicans taking the majority in the House in 2023, there was "a bunch of stuff missing" which could have potentially included crucial evidence from the Capitol unrest.

This allegation of missing evidence raises additional questions about the integrity of the investigation and whether all pertinent information was considered during the committee's review.

Broader Implications of Inspector General's Report

The Inspector General's report does not only raise questions about individual knowledge and actions but also underscores the complexity of understanding what truly happened on Jan. 6.

It challenges previous narratives and may impact how future investigations are approached and scrutinized.

As the fallout from the report continues to unfold, the political and legal implications of these revelations are likely to resonate throughout the upcoming election cycles, influencing debates and possibly policy decisions related to national security and law enforcement oversight.