On Monday, Judicial Watch announced a lawsuit against Washington, D.C., seeking access to bodycam footage from Metropolitan Police Department officers during the January 6 Capitol protests. This legal action follows a long-standing FOIA request that was initially denied, with officials citing an ongoing criminal investigation.

Officer Michael Fanone, who retired after his harrowing experience on January 6, testified in Congress about the attack he endured, claiming his bodycam footage captured the incident in detail. Despite his calls for transparency, the footage remains withheld from the public.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton highlighted the importance of releasing the footage, stating, “The American people deserve the full picture from the incident at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. What are they hiding? The DC Metropolitan Police Department should be transparent and release these secret January 6 videos.”

Fitton further criticized the handling of the investigation, noting, “None of the rules for the disclosure, transparency, prosecution investigation have been followed. This body cam footage is certainly going to be of the in the public interest to get out sooner rather than later. Especially since they want the entire election to hinge on what happened on that day.”

Fanone himself has been vocal about the need for public access to the footage. In his 2021 testimony to the House Select Committee, he said, “My body camera captured the violence of the crowd directed toward me during those very frightening moments. It’s an important part of the record for this Committee’s investigation and for the country’s understanding of how I was assaulted and nearly killed as the mob attacked the Capitol that day, and I hope that everyone will be able to watch it.”

The lawsuit by Judicial Watch seeks to bring transparency and accountability to the events of January 6, ensuring the public has access to crucial evidence.