Jan. 6 committee eyes finish line sprint
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Jan. 6 committee hearing. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Even as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack prepares to wrap up its work by the end of the year, its members are not planning to go quietly into the night.
Why it matters: The committee's most explosive moments may still be yet to come as it prepares to release initial findings before the election and a final report afterward — with the potential for another hearing to roll out that report.
What they're saying: In a press call on Wednesday, committee aides were careful not to label Thursday's hearing the panel's "closing argument." Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chair of the committee, did not rule out future hearings on Thursday when questioned about the possibility.
- Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) went a step further, telling Axios, "We've learned to say 'never say never' in this process."
- "We should have some kind of hearing or business meeting to release our final report, with the [legislative] recommendations," he said.
Flashback: Thompson told Axios last month that the period before the midterm elections "won't be a quiet period."
- He said the panel may push out some information in that timeframe, ahead of the final report, including legislative recommendations.
What we're watching: How the committee's subpoena of former President Donald Trump plays out. Thompson said it will be issued "as soon as we get the paperwork," but wouldn't say what the deadline would be for Trump to respond.
- Thompson also demurred on whether the committee would pursue a court fight if Trump refuses to comply: "Well, we'll just wait and see what he does."
- He also said the panel would question Trump on the evidence laid out in the hearing. "He could say it was true, or he could say it's not true. But he'll have to do it under oath," he told Axios.
- Raskin said of his questions to the former president: "I have a whole list."
Remember: There are just 26 days until the midterm elections and two and a half months between now and the end of the year.
The other side: Trump, for his part, has not said whether he plans to testify but attacked the committee on his social media site, Truth Social, as a "laughing stock," writing, "Why didn’t the Unselect Committee ask me to testify months ago?"
The bottom line: Thompson suggested that the committee's investigation remains both multi-faceted and full steam ahead, even in its final stages.
- Asked whether the Trump subpoena is the last investigative matter on the committee's plate, he replied simply: "No."
