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The BulleTin • Thursday, January 13, 2022 A13 JAN.6 U.S. CAPITOL RIOT Panel requests interview from GOP leader McCarthy BY FARNOUSH AMIRI AND ERIC TUCKER associated Press WASHINGTON — The House panel investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection re- quested an interview and re- cords from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday, as it contin- ues to seek first-hand details from members of Congress on former 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 election. Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, Democratic chair- man of the panel, requested that McCarthy, R-Calif., provide information to the nine-member panel regarding his conversations with Trump “before, during and after” the riot. The request also seeks in- formation about McCarthy’s communications with former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in the days before the attack. “We also must learn about how the President’s plans for January 6th came together, and all the other ways he at- tempted to alter the results of the election,” Thompson said in the letter. “For exam- ple, in advance of January 6th, you reportedly explained to Mark Meadows and the for- mer President that objections to the certification of the elec- toral votes on January 6th ‘was doomed to fail.’” Hours after the commit- tee’s request, McCarthy issued a statement saying he would refuse to cooperate. He said the investigation was not le- gitimate and was an “abuse of power.” Without his cooperation, it remains unclear whether the panel will be able to gain testi- mony from McCarthy or any other congressional allies of Trump. While the committee has considered subpoenaing fellow lawmakers, that would be an extraordinary move and could run up against legal and political challenges. Lawmakers are seeking a window into Trump’s state of mind from an ally who has ac- knowledged repeated interac- tions with the then-president. The committee also wants to question McCarthy about communications with Trump and White House staff in the week after the violence, includ- ing a conversation with Trump that was reportedly heated. The committee acknowl- edged the sensitive and un- usual nature of its request as it proposed a meeting with McCarthy on either Feb. 3 or 4. “The Select Committee has tremendous respect for the prerogatives of Congress and the privacy of its Members,” Thompson wrote. “At the same time, we have a solemn re- sponsibility to investigate fully the facts and circumstances of these events. Democrats have been seek- ing more information about McCarthy’s communications with Trump since the former president’s second impeach- ment trial last year. At one point in the trial, Democrats said they would try and call Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., as a witness because she had described a potentially evelyn hockstein/ pool, reuters via aP From left, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., pay their respects to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., during a memorial service in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol as Reid lies in state Wednesday in Washington. pivotal call between the two men after hearing an account from McCarthy. Herrera Beutler’s statement said McCarthy told her he had asked Trump to publicly “call off the riot” and had said the violent mob was made up of Trump supporters, not far-left antifa members. She said in the statement, “That’s when, according to McCarthy, the president said, ‘Well, Kevin, I guess these peo- ple are more upset about the election than you are.’” In the end, Democrats read a statement from Her- rera Beutler into the record. Trump, who had just left of- fice, was acquitted by the Sen- ate. McCarthy had initially criti- cized Trump’s actions after the 2020 election, saying he “bears responsibility” for the deadly Jan. 6 attack, which remains the most serious domestic as- sault on the building in its his- tory. “The saddest day I have ever had” in Congress, McCarthy said the night of the attack, even as he went on to join 138 other House Republicans in voting to reject election results. The latest request from the panel also puts McCarthy RONNIE SPECTOR • 1943-2021 Deputy ’60s icon who sang ‘Be My Baby’ dies at 78 from Phil Spector — turned them into one of the premier NEW YORK — Ronnie acts of the girl-group era, tour- Spector, the cat-eyed, bee- ing England with The Rolling hived rock ‘n’ roll siren who Stones and befriending the sang such 1960s hits as “Be My Beatles. Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and Spector, alongside her sister “Walking in the Rain” Estelle Bennett and as the leader of the girl cousin Nedra Tal- group The Ronettes, ley, scored hits with has died. She was 78. pop masterpieces like Spector died “Baby, I Love You,” Wednesday after a “Walking in the Rain,” brief battle with can- “I Can Hear Music” cer, her family said. and “Be My Baby,” Spector “Ronnie lived her life which was co-written with a twinkle in her by Spector, Jeff Barry eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked and Ellie Greenwich. sense of humor and a smile on “We weren’t afraid to be hot. her face. She was filled with That was our gimmick,” Spec- love and gratitude,” a statement tor said in her memoir. “When said. No other details were re- we saw The Shirelles walk on vealed. stage with their wide party Tributes flooded social me- dresses, we went in the oppo- dia, from Stevie Van Zandt site direction and squeezed our saying it was an honor to pro- bodies into the tightest skirts duce her, to Brian Wilson, who we could find. Then we’d get wrote on Twitter: “I loved her out on stage and hike them up voice so much and she was to show our legs even more.” a very special person and a Spector, born Veronica Ben- dear friend.” Diane Warren nett, and her multiracial band- called her “The voice of a mil- mates grew up in the Washing- lion teenage dreams including ton Heights area of Manhattan. mine.” They began singing and danc- The Ronettes’ sexy look and ing in clubs as Ronnie and the powerful voices — plus song- Relatives, becoming notewor- writing and producing help thy for their liberal use of eye- liner and mascara. “The louder they applauded, the more mascara we put on the next time,” she wrote in her memoir. “We didn’t have a hit record to grab their attention, so we had to make an impres- sion with our style. None of it was planned out; we just took the look we were born with and extended it.” In March 1963, Estelle Ben- nett managed to arrange an au- dition in front of Phil Spector, known for his big, brass-and- drum style dubbed the “wall of sound.” They were signed to Philles Records in 1963. After being signed, they sang backup for other acts until Spector had the group record “Be My Baby” and “Baby I Love You.” The group’s debut album, “Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica,” was released in 1964. Five of its 12 tracks had made it to the U.S. Billboard charts. “Nothing excites me more than just being onstage, having fun and flirting and winking to the guys and stuff like that,” she told People magazine in 2017. “I just have so much fun. It’s just the best feeling when I go out and they say, “Ladies and gentlemen…” — my heart stops for a minute — “…Ron- nie Spector and the Ronettes!” Then I just go out there and the crowd reacts the way they react and I can go on singing forever.” After touring Germany in 1967, the Ronettes broke up. Spector married Ronnie in 1968, then she said he kept her locked in their Beverly Hills mansion. Her 1990 autobiogra- phy “Be My Baby: How I Sur- vived Mascara, Miniskirts And Madness” tells an unhappy story of abuse. The couple di- vorced in 1974. Phil Spector was sent to prison in 2009 for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson and died in 2021. Ronnie Spector’s influence was felt far and wide. Brian Wilson became obsessed with “Be My Baby” and Billy Joel wrote “Say Goodbye to Holly- wood” in Spector’s honor. Amy Winehouse frequently cited Spector as an idol. Martin Scorsese used “Be My Baby” to open his 1973 film “Mean Streets” and the song appears in the title se- quence of “Dirty Dancing” and the closing credits of “Baby Mama.” It also appeared on TV in “Moonlighting” and “The Wonder Years.” Congress tricting as Democrats pulled Bend into the 5th District. Bentz was left as the incum- bent of the rest of the area east of the Cascades and a portion of southwest Oregon around Medford. The 6th District has a Dem- ocratic lean but no incumbent. A quirk in the U.S. Constitu- tion does not require House members to live in their dis- tricts. McLeod-Skinner and DeRemer, in the 5th District race, are running from out- side their district, but the larg- est number of such candidates filed in the 6th District. The seat, based around Salem, has drawn politicians from the Portland area. Moore said having a strong donor list from state or local races is a big plus. But federal campaign finance rules and limits — and ways around them — don’t automatically translate into fundraising suc- cess in the jump to federal races. While raising money in Oregon is paramount, the Skarlatos campaign shows that big donations from national groups can tilt or even the po- litical playing field. “Where money makes a very interesting difference is in open seats,” Moore said. “Oregon’s CD 4 and CD 6 are in this cat- egory. Fundraising will tell us a lot about whether one party or the other truly thinks it can win either of these seats.” DeFazio’s announcement that he wouldn’t run just three months before the deadline to file shows uncertainty is built into the system. The races still have time to get scram- bled further. Candidates have until March 8 to get in or get out. Once the fields are set, the money spigot will open wider. BY MARK KENNEDY associated Press Continued from A1 The winner will face the GOP primary victor from a field that so far includes for- mer Happy Valley Mayor Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Jimmy Crumpacker, a Bend resident who finished fourth in the 2020 2nd Congressional District Re- publican primary won by now- Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario. Both are staunch conservatives. Schrader starts with a big financial advantage over any potential opponent, with $3.3 million in the bank. DeRemer reported over $300,000 raised prior to Oct. 1. McLeod-Skin- ner’s campaign will officially re- port its first fundraising num- bers later this month, but says it raised $227,000 in November and December. Redistricting created bound- aries for the five existing and one new congressional seat awarded Oregon for its in- creased population over the past decade. Under the new maps, incumbent U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Beaver- ton in the 1st District, and Earl Blumenauer, D-Portland in the 3rd District, will run for reelec- tion with strong Democratic voter edges. Rep. Peter De- Fazio, D-Springfield in the 4th District — the longest-serving member of Oregon’s congres- sional delegation — is not run- ning for reelection. State Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle, a Democrat, and Alek Skarlatos, of Roseburg and DeFazio’s 2020 Republican opponent, have an- nounced they are running for the seat. Bentz, the only Republican in Oregon’s delegation, is run- ning for his second term. His 2nd District became even more Republican-favored with redis- face-to-face with its vice-chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, whom he dumped from the No. 3 House leadership position last sum- mer as her very public criti- cism of Trump’s lies about his 2020 election loss reverberated through the Republican Party. The GOP leader had counseled Cheney to stay on message, but as she con- tinued to warn the party off Trump’s falsehoods, McCarthy groomed a newly transformed Trump acolyte, Rep. Elise Ste- fanik, R-N.Y., as her replace- ment. McCarthy is the third mem- ber of Congress the committee e gwarner@eomediagroup.com Continued from A1 Jefferson County Sheriff Marc Heckathorn said Ol- iveira took at least a month of paid sick leave from work before returning and abruptly resigning, thus he was not internally investigated by the sheriff’s office. “I assumed he had a medi- cal condition, and I assumed he’d be returning to work once he got better,” Heck- athorn said. In a charging document filed Tuesday, prosecutors allege Oliveira sent sexually explicit photos of a woman to other people without her consent. Deschutes County District Attorney John Hum- mel confirmed Oliveira al- legedly sent the images to people the woman previously dated. Author Continued from A1 A nature lover, Tan said that when she does get to a place with strong outdoor appeal, she’ll often linger a few days to ski or partake in a major interest of hers — and a major subject in her jour- nals — birds. “Oh my God. You have no idea,” she said of how avid her interest in birds is. Tan is highly active on Facebook groups related to birds and frequently posts her drawings of the sparrows, finches, hummingbirds, wrens, warblers, titmice and other varieties perched on feeders at home in Sausalito, California. “I journal nearly every day about the birds I see in my backyard,” she said. “I have seen probably 58 different species, but I have regular ones, and I follow their sto- ries. I just write what I see, these daily dramas that are going on. It is a very big pas- sion of mine.” Tan’s bird curiosity took flight amid the political and social chaos of the past sev- eral years. The direction the country was heading in was frequently ruffling her feath- ers. “It was in response to my feeling that our country was kind of out of whack … and there was a lot of ugliness and has reached out to for volun- tary information. In the past few weeks, GOP Reps. Jim Jordan and Scott Perry were also contacted by the panel but have denied the requests to sit down with lawmakers or pro- vide documents. The panel, comprised of seven Democrats and two Re- publicans, has interviewed almost 350 people and issued public subpoenas to around 50 people and organizations as it seeks to create a comprehen- sive record of the Jan. 6 attack and the events leading up to it. On Wednesday, former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany spoke to the panel virtually, according to a person familiar with the interview who requested ano- nymity to discuss it. The com- mittee subpoenaed McEnany in November. The committee says the extraordinary trove of mate- rial it has collected — 35,000 pages of records so far, includ- ing texts, emails and phone records from people close to Trump — is fleshing out crit- ical details of the worst attack on the Capitol in two centu- ries, which played out on live television. Thompson told The Asso- ciated Press in an interview last month that about 90% of the witnesses subpoenaed by the committee have cooper- ated despite the defiance of high-profile Trump allies like Meadows and Steve Bannon. Lawmakers said they have been effective at gathering in- formation from other sources in part because they share a unity of purpose rarely seen in a congressional investigation. Two of the allegations are from March and April and the other from July. Oliveira was assigned a public defender. He is sched- uled to enter a plea Feb. 16. Oliveira is a graduate of Madras High School. He served in the U.S. Army from 2005 to 2006, according to The Madras Pioneer. In 2006, he was hired as a control technician at the Jeffer- son County Jail, opening and closing doors. From 2009 to 2014, he moonlighted as a re- serve officer with the Madras Police Department while con- tinuing to work as a jail guard. “I’m disappointed to hear the allegations of misconduct of a former employee,” Heck- athorn said. “And I’ll be even more disappointed if he gets convicted.” e Reporter: 541-383-0325, gandrews@bendbulletin.com racism,” Tan said. “I needed to find the beauty in my life again. So I started noticing birds.” Documenting the go- ings-on of the local bird com- munity relates to her fiction writing work, Tan said. “It’s very much like the kind of observation that you have with writing fiction, but also with that curiosity and need to continue to ask questions about all the possi- bilities of what this behavior means, so it’s a natural tie-in,” she said. “It’s storytelling, but from a different viewpoint. I am the bird in the story.” Next up in the Author! Author! lineup is Tommy Orange, whose 2018 book “There, There” was a Pulit- zer Prize finalist and winner of the 2019 American Book Award. An enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arap- aho tribes of Oklahoma, Or- ange will present his program at 7 p.m. Feb. 3. “Sandman” and “American Gods” au- thor Neil Gaiman’s March 6 appearance (time to be de- termined) will conclude the 2022 series. Tickets are $35 per event, or $90 for all three, and are available at dplfoundation. org. Money from ticket sales goes to support library pro- grams and services that are not funded by tax dollars. e Reporter: 541-383-0349, djasper@bendbulletin.com
