Speaker Johnson appoints two Trump allies to a committee that handles classified intelligence

By STEPHEN GROVES
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson is appointing two far-right Republicans to the powerful House Intelligence Committee. He is positioning two close allies of Donald Trump who worked to overturn the 2020 presidential election on a panel that receives sensitive classified briefings and oversees the work of America’s spy agencies. The appointments of GOP Reps. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Ronny Jackson of Texas to the House Intelligence Committee were announced on the House floor Wednesday. Johnson, a hardline conservative who has aligned himself with Trump, was replacing spots on the committee that opened up after the resignations of Republican Reps. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Chris Stewart of Utah.