Speaker Johnson Appoints Trump Allies to Classified Intel Committee

(UnitedHeadlines.com) – On June 5, House Speaker and Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson appointed two allies of former President Donald Trump to the House Intelligence Committee.

Johnson announced that Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry and Republican Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson would replace Republican Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher and Republican Utah Rep. Chris Stewart on the House Intelligence Committee after both resigned from Congress earlier this year.

Perry is the former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. Federal authorities seized Perry’s personal cell phone as part of the investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He was also required to give FBI agents access to 1,600 texts and emails as part of the special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation.

First elected to the House in 2020, Jackson previously served as a top White House physician under Trump and former president Barack Obama. Trump also nominated Jackson to serve as the secretary of Veterans Affairs. However, after allegations of professional misconduct involving a female subordinate, Jackson withdrew his nomination despite denying the allegations and claiming they were politically motivated. The House committee investigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, also sought testimony from Jackson, who declined to testify.

In a statement after his appointment, Perry said he hopes to provide “a fresh perspective” on the committee and conduct “actual oversight — not blind obedience” to the intelligence community.

Democratic Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly, a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees, said the decision to appoint Perry and Jackson to the House Intelligence Committee shows Johnson is “pandering to the right,” adding that it is “a very bad decision for our country.”

Typically, lawmakers with backgrounds in national security and who work well with politicians across the aisle, are given seats on the committee, which influences the direction of foreign policy. However, some people are concerned that replacing the two with close allies of Trump could mean Johnson is willing to use the full force of the House to help Trump in his reelection bid.