January 6, 2021: Loudermilk's first description
Loudermilk gave an interview to a local Georgia radio station on the day of the riot. The Georgia Republican was still in an undisclosed secure location as he spoke. His comments would not become widely known until The Daily Dot uncovered them months later.

The explanation: "We actually had about a dozen people up here that wanted to come by and visit, we had them in our office, they definitely were peaceful people, people that we met at church. They were supporters of the president, they wanted to be up here as if it was another rally." (snip)
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January 13, 2021: A Democratic lawmaker makes a jaw-dropping claim
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Navy veteran and New Jersey Democrat, requested an investigation "into the suspicious behavior and access given to visitors to the Capitol Complex" on January 5, 2021, the day before the riot. Sherrill led 34 House Democrats in writing to the board that oversees the US Capitol Police, alleging that she and other lawmakers who signed the letter "witnessed an extremely high number of outside groups in the complex." As the authors point out, the Capitol was largely closed to the public at the time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (snip)
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February 17, 2022: Republicans reportedly say there were no "reconnaissance tours"
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May 19, 2022: The Jan. 6 committee makes its initial request:
House Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson and Vice-Chair Liz Cheney wrote to Loudermilk asking for information about the tour. They also said of the Republicans' denial, "The Select Committee's review of evidence directly contradicts that denial." (snip)
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The same day: "A constituent family"
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May 20, 2022: The same day: The family was joined by "some guests"
Loudermilk in a video message said, "Yesterday afternoon, as I was traveling home to Georgia from Washington, my wife and I found out that I was in the crosshairs of the January 6 committee. Why? Because on January the 5th, I took a family with young children and their guests who were visiting Washington to lunch in a cafeteria in one of the House office buildings." (snip)

“Individuals on the tour photographed and recorded areas of the complex not typically of interest to tourists,” the panel’s chairman, Bennie Thompson, wrote in the letter to Loudermilk. “The January 5, 2021 tour raises concerns about their activity and intent.”

The man who took photos of the tunnels traveled to Washington on 4 January 2021, appearing to depart Georgia in the early morning on one of several “Keep America Great” coaches. It made a short stop in South Carolina before continuing to Washington.

He then toured the House office buildings the following day as part of Loudermilk’s group, recording himself in the basement rotunda of Cannon around 1pm on 5 January 2021, according to a Facebook live video he posted.