The House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol is expected to hear public testimony Tuesday from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Mark Meadows, the last chief of staff to President Donald J. Trump, according to people familiar with the matter. .
The committee on Monday abruptly scheduled a hearing for Tuesday afternoon to hear what the panel called “recently obtained evidence.” But it did not reveal the nature of the evidence or who would be witnesses, sparking waves of speculation.
The hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Capitol Hill, according to a news release released by Committee. Ms Hutchinson’s tentative testimony was previously reported by Punchbowl News.
Ms. Hutchinson provided the panel with some of the largest revelations to date, all of which came during taped closed-door testimony, parts of which were shown or hinted at during the sessions. previous hearing.
She was said to have been present when Mr. Meadows described hearing Mr. Trump react in approval to his supporters’ exhortations to hang Vice President Mike Pence. And she testified that half a dozen Republican lawmakers who led efforts in Congress to overturn the election seeking amnesty after the riot.
It was not immediately clear what a brief hearing to hear from Ms. Hutchinson could reveal, as she testified three times behind closed doors after receiving a subpoena and the committee introduced passages clips of her testimony in previous hearings.
The announcement – and its abrupt and secretive nature – gave way to a day of conjecture about what the jury might have learned, or whose cooperation they might have secured, to ensure Guaranteed to set aside a carefully compiled hearing schedule for a week as members leave Washington to spend time in their counties around the country.
John W. Dean, White House adviser under President Richard M. Nixon, known for his role in the Watergate scandal, wrote on Twitter. “There was only one surprise witness in the Senate Watergate Committee hearings. On July 16, 1973, an unannounced witness appeared: Alex Butterfield, who testified to Nixon’s secret recording system – history forever changed! “
The January 6 panel held a series of hearings this month to come up with the results of its nearly year-long investigation, but no additional sessions were scheduled. until July.
However, its investigators continued to gather evidence and record interviews with witnesses even as the committee presented its findings. At the end of each hearing, lawmakers issued a call for more people to come and give public testimony. And in recent days, the committee has indicated that it has gathered important new information that needs further exploration.
In recent days, the committee has also obtained and studied for hours of footage of a documentary filmmaker who bonded with Mr. Trump, his family and members of his internal circle immediately before, during and after the attack.
But pressed on the matter on Monday, aides declined to disclose what additional evidence they planned to present on Tuesday.
Some of the most damning testimony the panel has received so far has come from people who work directly for Mr. Trump, including officials from his presidential campaign, his legal team and Judicial.
Ms. Hutchinson was asked by the committee about Mr. Trump’s positive response to calls from rioters to execute Mr. Pence and confirmed it, according to people familiar with the panel’s work.
Last week, Representative Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican and vice chairman of the committee, said the committee received testimony that when Mr. Trump learned of the crowd’s threats to hang Mr. Pence, he said, “Maybe our supporters have the right opinion” and added that Mr. Pence “deserves it.”
Ms. Hutchinson also told the committee that Anthony M. Ornato, the former White House operations director, told Mr. Meadows that “we had intelligence reports that said there could be violence on the 6th.” , but the White House did. nothing to stop the violence.
Ms. Hutchinson’s testimony also suggests that at least a handful of Republican lawmakers are concerned about criminal liability after participating in an effort to invalidate election results. In a videotaped interview by the panel at the final public hearing, Ms. Hutchinson testified that Representatives Mo Brooks of Alabama, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Louie Gohmert of Texas, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia are all seeking pardon after the January 6 attacks.
Key revelations from the January 6 hearing
Four of the members have denied doing so, with some questioning Ms. Hutchinson. Ms Greene posted a clip of Ms Hutchinson on Twitter and added: “Saying ‘I’ve heard’ means you don’t know. Spreading rumors and lies is exactly what the Witch Hunt Commission was aiming for on January 6th.” Mr Biggs similarly said Ms Hutchinson was “mistaken” and her testimony had been “deceptively” edited.
However, Mr. Brooks confirmed he was seeking a broad pardon for more than 100 Republicans.
Ms. Hutchinson also testified that during a discussion, Mr. Perry, who now leads the House Liberal Right party, endorsed the idea of encouraging supporters to march to the Capitol, and no one was inside. called against this proposal. She made it clear that members of Congress “tend to follow the direction of the White House” about directing a crowd to the Capitol.
The committee has also obtained testimony that Mr Meadows used a fireplace in his office to burn documents, according to two people who responded briefly to panel questions. The committee asked witnesses how Mr Meadows handled documents and records after the election.
The panel has yet to hear directly from Mr. Trump or Mr. Pence, though lawmakers remain open to calling. The committee has also Virginia Thomas askedJustice Clarence Thomas’ wife will testify separately next month about her role in driving the 2020 election to be overturned.
Ms. Cheney has publicly called on Pat A. Cipollone, a former White House adviser who has resisted some of the most extreme plans to overturn the election, to testify.
The committee has scheduled at least two more hearings for July, according to its chair, Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi. Those sessions are expected to detail how a violent extremist mob attacked the Capitol and how Mr Trump did nothing to stop the violence for more than three hours.
Previous hearings focused on pressure campaigns that Mr. Trump launched against judicial, state officials and his own vice president as he tries to cling to power.
