WASHINGTON - The House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol will hold its first hearing Thursday night.
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The series of hearings are expected to feature new video, audio and other evidence collected during the panel's yearlong investigation that will show the deadly violence that erupted when then-president, Donald Trump, tried to overturn Joe Biden's election victory.
WHERE TO WATCH
You can watch Thursday night’s hearing LIVE on FOX 5 starting at 8 p.m. Find complete recaps on our newscasts Thursday night and Friday morning and online at FOX5DC.com
For more information, watch FOX 5’s Lindsay Watts and her examination of the insurrection in her podcast, Siege On Democracy.
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US Capitol Riot: What you need to know about the Jan. 6 insurrection hearings
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol will hold the first in a series of hearings laying out its initial findings Thursday night, a highly anticipated look at evidence the panel has been gathering for the last year.
HOW WE GOT HERE
The House panel was formed in 2021 after Senate Republicans blocked the formation of an independent Jan. 6 commission. That independent commission would have had an even number of Republicans and Democrats and would have operated outside of Congress.
The House approved the formation of the committee in June, and the panel started its work within weeks.
FILE - Rioters storm the United States Capitol building on Jan. 6. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) FILE - Rioters storm the United States Capitol building on Jan. 6. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) FILE - Pro-Trump protesters gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. FILE - Pro-Trump protesters gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images) FILE - Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. A large group of pro-Trump protesters stand on the East steps of the Capitol Building after storming its grounds on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, breaking windows and clashing with police officers. Trump supporters gathered in the nation's capital today to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory over President Trump in the 2020 election. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images) FILE - Protesters gather on the second day of pro-Trump events fueled by former President Donald Trump's continued claims of election fraud on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. FILE - Tear gas is fired at supporters of President Trump who stormed the United States Capitol building on Jan. 6. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) WASHINGTON,DC-JAN6: Tear gas is fired at supporters of President Trump who stormed the United States Capitol building. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) WASHINGTON DC, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES - 2021/01/06: Protesters seen all over Capitol building where pro-Trump supporters riot and breached the Capitol. Rioters broke windows and breached the Capitol building in an attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. Police used batons and tear gas grenades to eventually disperse the crowd. Rioters used metal bars and tear gas as well against the police. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) Police use tear gas around Capitol building where pro-Trump supporters riot and breached the Capitol. Rioters broke windows and breached the Capitol building in an attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. WHAT WILL BE DISCUSSED
The panel is expected to unveil unreleased video, audio and other evidence during the series of hearings. Live testimony is expected Thursday from a police officer who was attacked during the riot and from a documentary filmmaker who recorded the violence.
SIEGE ON DEMOCRACY | FOX 5'S PODCAST ABOUT THE INSURRECTION AT THE U.S. CAPITOL ON JAN. 6.
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Looking back on Jan. 6 Capitol Riot
January 6 marks one year since the U.S. Capitol riot, when pro-Donald Trump rioters charged the steps as Congress began counting the Electoral College votes.
WHO WILL BE THERE
The committee hasn’t yet announced the focus of each hearing, or who all the witnesses will be. They are expected to seek public testimony from witnesses who were revelatory when interviewed behind closed doors.
Included are former Trump White House aides who have been cooperative and others who have detailed Trump’s pressure on state and federal authorities to overturn the election.
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Washington Commanders coach refers to Jan. 6 Capitol Riot as 'dust-up'
FOX 5's Jacqueline Matter reports on the comments made by Washington Commanders coach Jack Del Rio calling the January 6 Capitol Riot a "dust-up," and how one official in Virginia is responding.
COMMITTEE TEAMS
The committee divided the investigation into different subject teams that are expected to provide structure to the hearings.
One team has looked into the government’s response. Another team has been looking into donors who helped finance the events of the day. One of the investigative teams has focused on Trump and those who tried to help him overturn the election.
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First Capitol Riot trial begins
The first Capitol riot trial is now underway in D.C. and legal experts say it could set the stage for hundreds of cases to come.
NOT INTENDED TO BE A PROSECUTION
Congress doesn’t have the power to press charges, so the hearings aren’t intended to be a prosecution. Members of the panel have encouraged the Justice Department to aggressively investigate the attack, as well.
Lawmakers have also discussed the possibility of sending a criminal referral to the Justice Department recommending that certain individuals — perhaps even Trump — should be prosecuted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report