House Jan. 6 committee announces possible final hearing. Here’s what to expect
Written by ABC Audio All Rights Reserved on October 9, 2022
(WASHINGTON) — The House Jan. 6 committee on Thursday announced it will hold what might be its final hearing next Thursday, Oct. 13.
It will take place at 1 p.m.
The committee postponed its Sept. 29 session due to Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm that made landfall in Florida the day before the hearing was set to take place.
It’s been more than two months since the panel investigating the U.S. Capitol attack last held a public hearing after airing eight televised sessions from June to July to reveal the findings of their probe.
In those hearings, lawmakers described what they called a “sophisticated, seven-part plan” by former President Donald Trump and his supporters to try to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden, including his pressure on the Department of Justice and local election officials. The last session focused exclusively on Trump’s actions while violence unfolded on Jan. 6, 2021, with witnesses telling the panel Trump initially refused pleas from his staff to condemn the mob.
Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., previously said the committee would air “substantial footage” and “significant witness testimony” in this new hearing, but declined to give any more details on what the focus of the session will be.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., previously teased the hearing will be “more sweeping than some of the other hearings” and will “tell the story about a key element of Donald Trump’s plot to overturn the election.”
A major development in recent weeks has been the committee’s interview on Sept. 29 with Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, about her efforts to push state officials to reject the 2020 results.
Thomas told the panel she still believes the 2020 election was stolen, Chairman Thompson said after the interview. Thompson also said Thomas answered “some” questions, but didn’t elaborate on what questions she responded to.
In her opening statement to the committee, which was obtained by ABC News, Thomas reiterated that she doesn’t believe her husband’s work is within the scope of the investigation.
“I can guarantee that my husband has never spoken with me about pending cases at the Court,” her opening statement read. “It’s an iron clad rule in our home.”
Next Thursday’s hearing could be the last before the committee releases a comprehensive report on their findings and recommendations, and will take place just 25 days before Election Day.
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