WASHINGTON — Tonight in prime time, the first public hearing of the January 6th committee will take place in Washington.
The group was formed last summer after the attack at the Capitol, which occurred while Congress was attempting to certify the 2020 election results.
WHAT TO EXPECT
By now, many of the photos and the videos from that day all somewhat look the same but the committee is promising to release previously unseen material that documents just how terrifying that day was for so many.
The previous president of ABC News has been hired to help produce the made-for-television event which begins at 8 p.m. ET.
As a reminder, that day forced former Vice President Mike Pence to be rushed to a secure location. Speaker Nancy Pelosi was evacuated entirely from the Capitol over safety threats.
Four rioters died during the assault, including Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by a Capitol police officer when she attempted to enter a secure area.
Five capitol police officers died in the days following the attack, either from health complications or suicide.
The Justice Department charged close to 900 Americans for being involved in some way with that day.
The hearing is taking place in a committee room in the Cannon House Office Building, which is where many representatives have their Washington offices.
While it will include some new information, it will largely be a summary of the investigation so far, according to committee members.
New testimony will occur tonight from individuals who will say the riot was not as spontaneous as you may have thought, including testimony from a filmmaker who had been following some rioters prior to the January 6th attack.
The committee will also outline their plan for future public hearings with a final report expected by the group in September.
Remember though that this committee can't charge anyone. The committee can refer individuals to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.
So far, former Trump aides Steve Bannon and Peter Navaro have been arrested for refusing to cooperate with the committee's investigation.
The committee has done over 1,000 interviews in the last 10 months and they videotaped some of them, which could be played tonight.
OPPOSITION
Many conservatives believe, however, that this committee's investigation has become too partisan.
Republican House leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has said the committee is simply going after political foes.
Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York has called the committee "illegitimate."
Only two Republicans sit on the committee — Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger — and both voted to impeach former President Donald Trump.
Because of the controversy, a number of conservative media outlets have decided to not broadcast the hearing, including Fox News. However, the hearings will air on its sister network, Fox Business.
