Two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis), launched a formal inquiry into the New Year’s Day terror attack that left 14 dead.
As per the announcement, the senators “...are calling for answers in the aftermath of the tragic New Year’s Day attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas.”
The duo penned letters to the FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Defense (DOD).
Their letters demand further information into the nature of the events on New Year's Day, as well as the motives, strategy, and online radicalization of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the man who planned and carried out the attack and died in a shootout with the NOPD.
In their joint letter to the DOJ and FBI, the first piece of information they request reads as follows:
“When and how was the FBI made aware of the ISIS flag found in or near Jabbar’s vehicle? Was the FBI made aware of the ISIS flag before or after FBI Assistant Special Agent Alethea Duncan told the public that the New Orleans attack was “not a terrorist event”? Provide all communications records created and/or transmitted relating to Assistant Special Agent Duncan’s statement.”
There was an additional letter sent to Meta, requesting that the tech company share Jabbar’s Facebook records to provide greater insight into his online radicalization and planning of the eventual attack.
The Senate committee's letter to Meta requests twelve specific pieces of information to be provided by February 4th, 2025. The first five items include:
1. How and when did Meta become aware of Jabbar’s posts on January 1, 2025, to his Facebook account?
2. How many Meta platform accounts, including personal or business pages are associated with Jabbar?
3. Did Meta notify the FBI or any other federal law enforcement agency about Jabbar’s January 1, 2025, posts?
4. Were there any comments left on Jabbar’s posts from January 1, 2025?
5. Provide a timeline of when the videos associated with Jabbar were posted and then taken down by Meta.
“The public deserves complete transparency and the truth regarding the New Orleans terrorist attack," the senators expressed. "While we understand the investigation into both of these incidents is ongoing, we expect your agencies to be forthcoming and responsive to oversight requests from Congress on this very serious matter.”