Ashli Babbitt's mother says Pelosi, Feinstein refuse her calls, won't answer questions about daughter's death

The mother of Ashli Babbitt, the U.S. Air Force veteran who was fatally shot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) have refused to speak to her about her daughter's death. Babbitt's mom, Micki Witthoeft, said that no current elected politician has reached out to answer questions about her daughter's shooting death during the Capitol riots.

Witthoeft gave an interview to conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza last week, which gave an insight into the life of Ashli Babbitt, how her daughter has been portrayed since her death, and what will give the grieving mother closure.

"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," Witthoeft said, as reported by Fox News.

"But it was still hard to get confirmation from anybody," she added. "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."

D'Souza asked Witthoeft why Babbitt, after serving 14 years in the military, was denied a military burial. Witthoeft said an Air Force official "arbitrarily" decided that Babbitt was not qualified for a military burial because of her participation in the events of Jan. 6. Witthoeft said the denial of a military burial was a "further slap in the face" because the decision was made before the investigation into Babbitt's shooting was completed.

Witthoeft said the family held "a lovely service" for Babbitt.

"When we scattered her ashes, I had them dedicated to patriotic people," the mother said of her daughter's funeral. "They did a flag ceremony for her, and taps was played for her, and we honored her with respect."

"You couldn't help but love her if you knew her," Witthoeft said of her deceased daughter. She added that it is "heartbreaking" because Babbitt "did serve this country, she did love this country."

She said it is "libelous" and "slanderous" to label Babbitt an "insurrectionist."

"People don't go to commit insurrection with flags and patriotic songs in their heart. That's not insurrection," Witthoeft said, and admitted, "Was there some bad behavior? Absolutely."

Witthoeft said that about three weeks after Babbitt's passing, she started making a "phone call a day" to get answers about her daughter's death, starting with lawmakers in her home state of California. Witthoeft said it was a "frustrating experience" dealing with lawmakers in an attempt to get answers about Babbitt's death.

"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," Witthoeft stated. "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."

"Dianne Feinstein's people were just awful," she claimed.

Witthoeft alleged that an aide for Feinstein told her, "Although it's unfortunate, your daughter should not have stormed the Capitol. Dianne Feinstein will never have two minutes for you."

Babbitt's mother said she had not received "one phone call, not one email" from U.S. lawmakers, Democratic and Republican, who she contacted for answers into her daughter's death.

Witthoeft asserted that no representative from the Biden administration or the Justice Department have answered her questions.

The only individual "in an official capacity" that has contacted Witthoeft is former President Donald Trump, who called on July 1.

One of the questions that Witthoeft wants to be answered is, "Who shot Ashli Babbitt?"

On April 14, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would not pursue criminal charges against the Capitol Police officer who fatally shot 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt. The DOJ said there is "insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution" based on previous investigations by government agencies.

Capitol Police General Counsel Thomas DiBiase said the department provided more than 14,000 hours of surveillance camera footage from Jan. 6, 2021, to "two key committees investigating the Capitol assault: The House Administration Committee and the Senate Rules Committee," Politico reported in March.

Witthoeft is demanding that the "14,000 hours of footage," recorded at the Capitol from noon to 8 p.m. on Jan. 6, be released to the public.

"That's taxpayer footage, that's our footage, that's the footage of the people, we the people – and we have a right to see it, and if there's nothing to hide let us see it," Witthoeft proclaimed.

Babbitt's mother said if the "true facts about Jan. 6" came out, she would have some closure that her daughter's life was not in vain.