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- The January 6 committee is seeking the electronic records of some congressmen.
- Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama said Wednesday he would "absolutely not" hand over his records.
- "I really hate the idea that they're trying to turn this into a police state," Brooks said.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Rep. Mo Brooks criticized the work of the House of Representatives' January 6 select committee, comparing it to the secret police of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
The Alabama Republican was speaking to Newsmax about the committee, which is seeing out electronic communication records from hundreds of people, including members of Congress, in its investigation into the Capitol riot.
"What right does this Gestapo, KGB-like entity have to investigate the personal information and communications of myself with my family members? My grandchildren?" Brooks said Wednesday, saying he would "absolutely not" hand over his records.
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"If its limited to information related to January 6, well, there's not anything there that I'm concerned about," Brooks continued.
He said he does not want the committee to get records concerning his internal campaign communications or personal text messages.
"They have no business getting that kind of information, and I really hate the idea that they're trying to turn this into a police state," Brooks said, specifically calling out the two Republicans on the committee, Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.
-Mo Brooks (@RepMoBrooks) September 1, 2021
The House select committee has asked social media and telecommunications companies to preserve phone records belonging to Congress and Trump family members that relate to the events of January 6.
Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, have threatened the companies, saying there will be consequences if they comply.
Brooks is not the first Republican to compare recent events to Nazi Germany. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia was criticized earlier this year for comparing COVID-19 safety measures to the Holocaust. She later apologized for the comments.