Lame duck President Joe Biden is awarding two members of the January 6 Select Committee with the second highest civilian award, the Presidential Citizens Medal. President Richard Nixon created the medal in 1969. It only ranks lower than the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
🚨JUST IN🚨
Joe Biden is giving the 2nd highest civilian award to the leaders of the January 6 committee.
Biden will be giving the Presidential Citizens Medal to Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson. pic.twitter.com/T4xbC6bGZM
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) January 2, 2025
Former Wyoming Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, the vice chair of the J6 Select Committee, and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), who chaired the panel, will be among 20 recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal on Thursday.
“President Biden believes these Americans are bonded by their common decency and commitment to serving others,” the White House wrote. “The country is better because of their dedication and sacrifice.”
The duo remains accused of destroying evidence of which the then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) demanded its preservation, including over 100 encrypted files and up to 2 terabytes of data.
Cheney, the most polarizing of the two, has been recommended for investigation and potential prosecution. Thompson is also blamed for deleting the January