NJ congresswoman claims rioters went on 'reconnaissance' tours prior to attack

NEW JERSEY - Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, says that she witnessed people being lead through the Capitol the day before the riot in what looked like a "reconnaissance" tour.

In an interview on Wednesday's Good Day New York, the congresswoman said she wants an investigation into who allowed the people inside the building but admits she can't verify if anyone on the tours broke into the building during the riot.

Sherrill says that the building has been closed to visitors since the coronavirus pandemic last March and the only people allowed in the building are guests of members of Congress or their staff.

"It was incredibly shocking, really, to come work on January 5th, and see large groups of people in the Capitol complex," Sherrill said.

She says senior members of her staff called the Sergeant at Arms to try to understand why the groups of people were inside the building.

Sherrill claims that some of the rioters knew where they were going and knew exactly where some offices were located, even if they were in out-of-the-way places.

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"These groups, some of them are militia-type groups, they have a structure to them, they carry weapons, they talk with military-type language.  And so, if you are going to do that, you do a reconnaissance, you get inside the building first, if you can," Sherrill said.

Sherrill says she had already told her staff to work remotely on Jan. 6 because of prior "concerning" reports that armed people were going to be descending on Washington, D.C., for protests. She was in the House chamber when rioters attempted to break in.

As a result of her experiences, she says she will vote in favor of impeaching President Trump for his role in inciting the incident.