Senators Cruz and Hawley subject to investigation by 'secretive' committee

An investigation is underway pursuant to a formal ethics complaint filed on Jan. 21 by the now Democrat-controlled Senate, naming Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley.

The complaint was brought about by a cadre of seven senators, who allege that the two Republicans "lent legitimacy" to the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6. by spreading "amplified claims of election fraud."

According to Politico, the investigation will extend over a long period of time, and "will take place behind closed doors by one of the most secretive committees in Congress."

The panel is lead by Chris Coons, a Democratic Senator for Delaware, who has previously called for the resignation of Cruz and Hawley.

A spokesperson for the office of Senator Cruz said, "it sets a dangerous precedent when ethics complaints are used as a political tool to try to intimidate and punish."

According to Politico: "The committee's rules keep all actions of the panel secret without approval by a majority of the committee. The last press release the committee released was in 2017, confirming an inquiry into former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.)."

Senator Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, said, "Accountability for the role they played is really important. The Ethics Committee is the place where the Senate enforces its code of conduct and rules. What they did is unconscionable."

Smith added that, while the exact nature of the investigation will remain secret, she hopes that the committee will deeply probe into what connections, if any, the two senators may have with the organizers of the Capitol riots.