Jan. 6 committee teases new evidence ahead of final hearing
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) at a Jan. 6 committee hearing in October. Photo: Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images
The chair of the House select committee investigating Jan. 6 said Wednesday that the panel's final hearing may include evidence that has not yet been made public.
Why it matters: The committee aims to capture the nation's attention one last time as it previews its sprawling final report and accompanying criminal referrals and legislative recommendations.
- The final report, which is expected to be released next Wednesday and focus on Trump's role in Jan. 6, is still being written, according to Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.): "We're still working, we're meeting tonight."
What they're saying: Asked whether the 1pm ET hearing on Monday will include new evidence or testimony, Thompson said: "It could be evidence that we have not shared in the hearings. It could very well be."
- He also said it will be "shorter" than the roughly two-hour runtime of the panel's past hearings and is likely to include a truncated multimedia presentation. Each member is expected to play a role.
- "Some of it will include some of the work we've done with the committee, and give [the members] an opportunity to talk about a particular interest they might have," he said.
The backdrop: The committee has reportedly interviewed multiple high-profile witnesses since its previous hearing in October.
- That includes former top White House aide Anthony Ornato, the driver of former President Trump's vehicle on Jan. 6 and other Secret Service agents — all key players in former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson's bombshell testimony.
- Other interviews have taken place with Trump confidante Hope Hicks, former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
What we're watching: The hearing is expected to tee up the release of the final report, and it's billed as an "official business meeting" so members can vote at the end to adopt the report and the referrals.
- Thompson also said the committee is looking at "five or six" categories of referrals, which may include everything from the Department of Justice to the Federal Election Commission to the House Ethics Committee.
- Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who chairs a subcommittee dealing with the committee's unfinished business, said they are "close to finalizing" the referrals.
- The panel will also unveil some of its legislative recommendations at the hearing, Thompson said: "There will be some recommendations ... on Monday."
