U.S. panel asks FBI to review role of Parler in Jan. 6 Capitol attack

WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - The House Oversight and Reform Committee on Thursday asked the FBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the role that Parler, a social media website and app popular with the American far right, played in the violence at the U.S. Capitol.

Representative Carolyn Maloney, who chairs the panel, cited press reports that detailed violent threats on Parler against state elected officials for their role in certifying the election results before the Jan. 6 attack. She also noted numerous Parler users have been arrested and charged with threatening violence against elected officials or for their role in participating in the attack. Reuters reported this week Parler partially returned online with the help of a Russian-owned technology company.

(Reporting by David Shepardson)