Topline
Only a “small fraction” of the evidence the House January 6 Committee has gathered have so far been made public, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told the Washington Post—and Americans will soon get to hear the investigation’s findings, as public hearings are slated to begin in June before a report is issued this fall.
Key Facts
Though some information has already been leaked in media reports, “most of the evidence” the committee has obtained “has not been divulged,” Raskin, who serves on the House committee, told the Post in an interview published Friday.
After wrapping up its depositions in May, the committee will hold at least eight public hearings in June, chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told reporters Thursday, with the first tentatively scheduled for June 9.
Those hearings will “tell the story of what happened” with the January 6 attack, Thompson said, using “a combination of witnesses, exhibits” and other evidence the committee has obtained.
That story “really will blow the roof off the House,” Raskin promised at an event last week at Georgetown University.
The committee will then release a full report this fall, and Raskin told the Post the committee “would like to get the report out in early September.”
That report might also include a visual component, as CNN reports the committee is planning an online multimedia presentation that will make its evidence into a “compelling narrative” Americans will easily understand.
Crucial Quote
“If we want to continue the experiment in democratic self-government, people have got to look very closely at what happened on January 6,” Raskin told the Post, adding the committee “[has] to get our job done as quickly as possible, and nobody wants to wait until the last minute” before the current House term ends.
Chief Critics
The investigation has often received pushback and led to some figures like ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon being held in contempt for not cooperating with the probe, as Trump allies have decried the investigation as a “partisan witch hunt.” In a statement refusing to testify before the committee, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) accused it of exercising an “abuse of power that stains this institution today and will harm it going forward,” saying the committee is “not conducting a legitimate investigation” and its “only objective is to attempt to damage its political opponents.” Former President Donald Trump has himself slammed the group as the “Unselect Committee of highly partisan political hacks” and has gone to the Supreme Court—unsuccessfully—in an effort to shield White House documents from being turned over to investigators.
What To Watch For
The committee is still continuing to call witnesses as it wraps up its depositions. Thompson told reporters Thursday lawmakers are seeking testimony from House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Scott Perry (R-Penn.), and will reach out to them again this week about voluntarily testifying after previous requests were denied. Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani is also slated to testify in May, CNN reports. When asked whether former Trump will be deposed, Raskin told the Post the committee would likely send Trump specific questions to answer, but said he did not expect the ex-president’s attorneys to allow him to fully testify.
Key Background
The House January 6 committee, made up of seven Democrats and Republicans Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), has been investigating the Capitol attack and the lead-up to it since last summer. Investigators have reviewed thousands of documents, interviewed hundreds of witnesses and issued dozens of subpoenas. Evidence that’s already been leaked from the ongoing investigation includes major revelations gleaned from former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ text messages, including activist Ginni Thomas—wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas—pushing Meadows on efforts to overturn the election and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (D-Ga.) telling Meadows some lawmakers had pushed for Trump to declare martial law.
Further Reading
A farewell from Jackie and an interview with Rep. Raskin (Washington Post)
House January 6 committee plans eight hearings for June (CBS News)
The Jan. 6 committee: What it has done and where it is headed (Washington Post)
