The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack announced Monday that it would put its two-week vacation on hold for a last-minute hearing on Tuesday.
Here’s the latest:
Updated 1:20 p.m. EST — Committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss) shared in his opening remarks that the panel had obtained information detailing what had happened in the White House during the attack on Jan. 6.
Thompson shared that the information was crucial and needed to be released as soon as possible, explaining why they returned from their two-week break early.
The key to that information was former Mark Meadows aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who shared in her testimony first-hand observations of former President Trump's actions and members of his cabinet.
Hutchinson began her testimony by sharing her role while working at the White House chief staff office and as the aide for Meadows. She shared that her work changed daily, working on whatever the president or Meadows requested she work on.
Rep. Thompson continued in his questioning, explaining how closely the former aide worked with the former president before handing the questioning off to Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo).
Hutchinson shared that in the days before the events of Jan. 6, she had walked out of the White House with Rudy Giuliani, who asked if she was excited for the sixth.
She shared that she asked him what he meant, and after he explained it to her, she returned to Meadows' office, telling him what he had heard. At that point, Hutchinson said that Meadows told her that the events on the sixth could get bad.
Updated 10:45 a.m. CST — The hearing is said to feature testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, who served as an aide to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, according to two sources familiar with the matter, ABC News reported.
Other reports say that the hearing will be centered around newly obtained evidence that could not wait until July, The Washington Post reported.
A statement from the committee said it would “present recently obtained evidence and receive witness testimony.”
The committee has already interviewed Hutchinson, doing so behind closed doors, with clips from her deposition having been shown during earlier parts of the hearings.
In one of the clips played from her deposition, Hutchinson testified that Meadows and former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliana were involved in early conversations about putting forward fake slates of electors.
Another clip included Hutchinson naming several Republican members of Congress who had reached out about potential pardons for either themselves or others.
Among those named was Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Louie Gohmert of Texas.
However, live testimony from Hutchinson could be significant, as the committee has considered her a top witness due to her proximity with Meadows. The committee rushing to return from holiday to complete the hearing also leaves many wondering what she could say.
Still, the topic of the hearing has yet to be released, as it will begin at 1 p.m. EST and will be the sixth public hearing this month.
However, according to a source that spoke with CNN, one potential reason for the secrecy is said to be security. But the committee has declined to comment on Tuesday’s hearing at all.
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