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The grieving mother of Ashli Babbitt, the U.S. Air Force veteran who was fatally shot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, says neither Nancy Pelosi nor Dianne Feinstein – nor any other current elected official, Democrat or Republican, has reached out to her regarding questions about her daughter’s death.
California resident Micki Witthoeft spoke out last week in a podcast conversation with conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza.
She also said no one from the Biden administration or the Justice Department has answered her questions, including about the identity of the law enforcement officer seen on video firing his weapon at Babbitt.
That anonymous officer was cleared of wrongdoing in April by the U.S. Justice Department, which claimed there was "insufficient evidence" to support a criminal prosecution.
The only person "in an official capacity" she has heard from has been former President Donald Trump on July 1, she said.
ASHLI BABBITT WAS ‘AMBUSHED’ DURING CAPITOL RIOT, FAMILY'S LAWYER SAYS
Witthoeft acknowledged that Babbitt’s husband, Aaron Babbitt, not her, was considered her daughter’s next of kin. She said U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., called Aaron Babbitt soon after his wife’s death, because the Babbitts’ business was located in Issa’s district.
"I knew that my daughter had been shot but there had been no official contact with our family as to who [shot her] -- and my son-in-law actually learned of Ashli’s death by seeing it on TV," she said.
"My son-in-law actually learned of Ashli’s death by seeing it on TV."
"But it was still hard to get confirmation from anybody. We called hospitals, it was just hard to get confirmation at that time. So his confirmation of his wife’s death came through the television."
One phone call per day
Witthoeft said that after about three weeks of mourning for her daughter, she decided to start making at least one phone call per day to elected officials in Washington and in her home state, hoping to obtain more details about why a law enforcement officer shot her daughter inside the Capitol as a crowd stormed the building on the day the 2020 presidential election results were being certified.
A family photograph of U.S. Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
"I started with Nancy Pelosi. And I called Nancy Pelosi and I called Dianne Feinstein … from three weeks after Ashli’s death to currently. … Nancy Pelosi I have called no less than a dozen times. I have never received any kind of correspondence from her. She will not call me back. I’ve emailed her, she doesn’t email me back. .. I’ve had absolutely no response."
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Witthoeft said she has faced a similar situation with Feinstein’s office.
"Dianne Feinstein’s people were just awful," she said.
"Dianne Feinstein will never have two minutes for you."
She said one Feinstein aide didn’t recognize the name "Ashli Babbitt" when she began asking questions about her daughter’s death.
In a subsequent call, she said, an aide scolded her, saying, "Although it’s unfortunate, your daughter should not have stormed the Capitol," adding afterward, "Dianne Feinstein will never have two minutes for you."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, left, and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, right, both from Ashli Babbitt's home state of California.
Others whom Witthoeft said she has tried to contact have included San Diego-area officials, such as Issa, U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, San Diego councilman Carl DeMaio and San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob – all Republicans. None have responded, she claimed.
Lawsuit planned
"When people say that our government is for the people, by the people – unless you’re trying to get in, and then nobody’s opening these doors," she said. "And that’s gotta change because that’s such an un-American way to do things."
"When people say that our government is for the people, by the people – unless you’re trying to get in, and then nobody’s opening these doors."
D’Souza later asked why Babbitt was denied a military burial despite her Air Force service.
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Witthoeft said the family was told it was because of Babbitt’s connection to the Jan. 6 riot. But she added that the family had "a lovely service" for Ashli anyway.
"When we scattered her ashes, I had them dedicated to patriotic people. They did a flag ceremony for her and taps was played for her and we honored her with respect."
Earlier this month, an attorney for Babbitt’s family announced plans for a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Capitol Police and the unidentified officer, claiming Babbitt’s death resulted from an "ambush" attack against her.
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