January 6 Select Committee to begin primetime hearings tonight
WASHINGTON (KDKA) - A House committee investigating the January 6th insurrection will begin a series of televised public hearings.
It has taken the committee months to get to this point.
After countless interviews and gathering as much evidence as possible, we're now going to hear more through these hearings.
"I can say that certainly one of the themes that we will be fleshing out is the fact that in advance of the 6th, that there was an understanding of the propensity for violence that day," said Rep. Adam Schiff, (D) California.
There are six hearings in total. The panel will present witness accounts and videos from that violent day, nearly a year and a half ago.
In addition, images and exhibits from the days leading up to the attack on the Capitol will be made public for the first time. Starting tonight, committee members will hear from a U.S. Capitol Police officer and a filmmaker who documented the chaos happening around the capitol that morning.
The committee, which has conducted thousands of interviews, is made up of seven democrats and two republicans. Many GOP lawmakers call the panel -- overly partisan.
''This committee is not about seeking the truth. It is a smear campaign against [former] President Donald Trump," said Rep. Elise Stefanik, (R) New York.
The rioters in 2021 were attempting to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's election victory.
The violent insurrection and its aftermath led to the deaths of five police officers.
For months, the panel has issued dozens of subpoenas, including to former white house officials and allies of former President Trump. Mainly those who were involved in the planning of the rally right before the attack.
You can watch the hearing tonight on KDKA, starting at 8 p.m.