Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader in United States House of Representatives, joined a long list of Republicans who have refused to comply with the January 6 committee. The investigative panel– charged with probing the Capitol storming– reached out to the GOP politician on Wednesday for an interview.

In a statement released on Wednesday, McCarthy accused the January 6 committee of “abuse of power” while doubting the legitimacy of the ongoing probe. “I have nothing else to add”, McCarthy said.

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“The committee’s only objective is to attempt to damage its political opponents – acting like the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee one day and the DOJ (Department of Justice) the next”, McCarthy’s statement read.

However, hours after the United States Capitol was stormed nearly a year ago, McCarthy went on to criticise former President Donald Trump’s actions and that he “bears responsibility”, according to reports from Associated Press.

The panel is seeking first-hand details from members of Congress on then-President Donald Trump’s actions on the day hundreds of his supporters brutally beat police, stormed the building and interrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

McCarthy also played a significant role in the dismissal of Representative Liz Cheney from the House leadership last year after the Wyoming lawmaker openly went against Trump.

However, Cheney is now the vice-chairperson of the January 6 committee, putting two rivals of the same political party across the table.

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McCarthy is the third member of Congress the committee has reached out to for voluntary information. In the past few weeks, GOP lawmakers Jim Jordan and Scott Perry were also contacted by the panel but have denied the requests to sit down with lawmakers or provide documents.

The panel, comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans, has interviewed almost 350 people and issued public subpoenas to around 50 people and organisations as it seeks to create a comprehensive record of the Jan. 6 attack and the events leading up to it.

(With AP inputs)