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Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol

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Breach of U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021
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Breach of U.S. Capitol during electoral vote count (January 6, 2021)
Aftermath of the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol
Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol
Reactions to U.S. Capitol breach
Events in state capitals during electoral vote certification
Counting of electoral votes (January 6-7, 2021)
Impeachment of Donald Trump, 2021

On January 6, 2021, during a joint session of Congress to count presidential electoral votes, several pro-Donald Trump demonstrations took place in Washington, D.C., to protest the 2020 presidential election results. Thousands of Trump supporters went to the Capitol Building as Congress was in its joint session. Around 2:15 p.m. ET, both chambers recessed as the group breached the Capitol and the building went into lockdown. To read more about the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, click here.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced on June 24, 2021, that the House would establish a select committee to investigate the root causes of the breach of the U.S. Capitol and general security issues related to the incident. The House passed the resolution to form the committee on June 30, 2021, by a vote of 222-190. All Democrats and two Republicans—Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)—voted to support the measure.[1] Committee membership was finalized in July 2021.[2]

The committee released a final report summarizing its findings on December 22, 2022.

On this page, you will find:

Click the links below to view videos, transcripts, and witness lists for each hearing held by the committee:


Membership

The following representatives were members of the committee:[3]

Formation

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announces formation of select committee

Pelosi named eight House members—seven Democrats and one Republican—to the committee on July 1, 2021:[4]

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) submitted the names of five Republicans to serve on the committee on July 19, 2021:[5]

On July 21, 2021, Pelosi announced that she was rejecting the recommendation for two of the five members. She said in a statement, "With respect for the integrity of the investigation, with an insistence on the truth and with concern about statements made and actions taken by these Members, I must reject the recommendations of Representatives Banks and Jordan to the Select Committee."[6]

McCarthy said he would pull all five of his recommendations if Pelosi did not seat Banks and Jordan. He said during a press conference, "Unless Speaker Pelosi reverses course and seats all five Republican nominees, Republicans will not be party to their sham process and will instead pursue our own investigation of the facts."[7]

On July 25, 2021, Pelosi appointed Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) to the committee. Kinzinger said in a statement, "Let me be clear, I'm a Republican dedicated to conservative values, but I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution—and while this is not the position I expected to be in or sought out, when duty calls, I will always answer."[8]

Staff

On July 22, 2021, Thompson announced the following individuals would serve as senior staff on the committee:[9]

  • Staff director: David Buckley, former inspector general of the CIA and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence minority staff director
  • Deputy staff director/chief counsel: Kristin Amerling, managing director at Lanthorn Strategies and former counsel to the Department of Transportation and several congressional committees
  • Counsel to the chairman: Hope Goins, staff director of the House Committee on Homeland Security
  • Senior counsel/senior advisor: Candyce Phoenix, staff director of the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
  • Communications director: Tim Mulvey, former communications director for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Investigation

According to a report from Just Security, an online publication based at the Reiss Center on Law and Security at New York University School of Law, the committee's investigation was divided into five teams pursuing different lines of inquiry:[10]

  • Gold Team: Investigated alleged "efforts by Trump and close associates to pressure federal, state, and local officials to overturn the election."
  • Blue Team: Investigated alleged "law enforcement and intelligence agency failures"
  • Purple Team: Investigated allegations regarding "domestic extremist groups, QAnon, and online misinformation"
  • Red Team: Investigated allegations regarding "Jan. 6 Rally planners and the Stop the Steal movement"
  • Green Team: Investigated allegations regarding "the money behind efforts to overturn the election"

Final report

The committee issued a final report on its findings on December 22, 2022.[11] In his foreword to the report, Thompson wrote, "This report will provide greater detail about the multistep effort devised and driven by Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 election and block the transfer of power. Building on the information presented in our hearings earlier this year, we will present new findings about Trump’s pressure campaign on officials from the local level all the way up to his Vice President, orchestrated and designed solely to throw out the will of the voters and keep him in office past the end of his elected term." See the full report below.

House Republican report

On December 21, 2022, Reps. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), and Troy Nehls (R-Texas) released a report titled, "Report of Investigation: Security Failures at the United States Capitol." The members wrote, "The Democrat-led investigation in the House of Representatives, however, has disregarded those institutional failings that exposed the Capitol to violence that day [January 6, 2021]. [...] This report supplements the Senate Report and provides findings from the perspective of the House of Representatives regarding those areas of inquiry that the Democrat-led investigation has thus far ignored, specifically answering the important question of why the Capitol was left so unprepared."

Hearings

The sections below provide videos, transcripts, and witnesses for each hearing held by the committee.

December 19, 2022

12/19/22 Select Committee Hearing

October 13, 2022

10/13/22 Select Committee Hearing

On September 13, 2022, Thompson said the committee aimed to have another public hearing on September 28.[12] The committee later announced it would be postponing the hearing due to Hurricane Ian.[13] NBC News reported the hearing would be rescheduled for October 13.[14]


July 21, 2022

07/21/22 Select Committee Hearing

Transcripts

Witnesses

The following individual appeared before the committee:[15]

  • Matthew Pottinger, former National Security Council member
  • Sarah Matthews, former Deputy White House Press Secretary

July 12, 2022

07/12/22 Select Committee Hearing

Transcripts

Witnesses

The following individual appeared before the committee:[16]

  • Jason Van Tatenhove, former spokesman of the Oath Keepers and associate of Elmer Stewart Rhodes, the founder and President of the Oath Keepers
  • Stephen Ayres, participant in the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol

June 28, 2022

06/28/22 Select Committee Hearing

Transcripts

Witnesses

The following individual appeared before the committee:[17]

  • Cassidy Hutchinson, aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows

June 23, 2022

06/23/22 Select Committee Hearing

Transcripts

Witnesses

The following individuals appeared before the committee:[18]

  • Jeffrey Rosen, former acting attorney general
  • Richard Donoghue, former acting deputy attorney general
  • Steven Engel, former assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel

June 21, 2022

06/21/22 Select Committee Hearing

Transcripts

Witnesses

The following individuals appeared before the committee:[19]

June 16, 2022

06/16/22 Select Committee Hearing

Transcripts

Witnesses

The following individuals appeared before the committee:[20]

  • Judge Michael Luttig, advised former Vice President Mike Pence (R) regarding the role of the Vice President in a joint session of Congress
  • Greg Jacob, counsel to Pence

June 13, 2022

06/13/22 Select Committee Hearing

Transcripts

Witnesses

The following individuals appeared before the committee:[21]

  • Chris Stirewalt, former Fox News political editor
  • Bill Stepien, former campaign manager for former President Donald Trump (R)
    • Stepien was unable to attend the hearing due to unforeseen circumstances. Stepien's attorney, Kevin Marino, spoke on his behalf.
  • BJay Pak, former United States attorney for the North District of Georgia
  • Al Schmidt (R), former Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, city commissioner
  • Ben Ginsberg, election law attorney

June 9, 2022

Select Committee Hearing (6/9/2022)

Transcripts

Witnesses

The following individuals appeared before the committee:[22]

  • Caroline Edwards, U.S. Capitol police officer
  • Nick Quested, documentarian who was filming at the Capitol on January 6, 2021

July 27, 2021

The Law Enforcement Experience on January 6th (7/27/2021)

Transcripts

Witnesses

The following individuals appeared before the committee:[23]

  • Harry Dunn, United States Capitol Police officer
  • Michael Fanone, Metropolitan Police Department officer
  • Aquilino Gonell, United States Capitol Police sergeant
  • Daniel Hodges, Metropolitan Police Department officer

Criminal referrals

During its final meeting on December 19, 2022, the committee announced criminal referrals to the U.S. Department of Justice against Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, and Kenneth Chesebro. The charges referred were inciting insurrection, conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of an act of Congress, and one charge not specified at the time of the committee hearing.[24]

Noteworthy subpoenas

Donald Trump
On October 21, 2022, the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol formally issued a subpoena to Trump.[25] The committee voted unanimously to subpoena Trump during a public hearing on October 13. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) offered the resolution, saying, "Our duty today is to our country, and our children, and our Constitution. We are obligated to seek answers directly from the man who set this all in motion. And every American is entitled to those answers so we can act now to protect our republic. [...] I am offering this resolution: that the committee direct the chairman to issue a subpoena for relevant documents and testimony under oath from Donald John Trump in connection with the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol."[26]

On October 13, Trump responded to the subpoena on social media, saying, "Why didn’t the Unselect Committee ask me to testify months ago? Why did they wait until the very end, the final moments of their last meeting? Because the Committee is a total 'BUST' that has only served to further divide our Country" and "The Unselect Committee knowingly failed to examine the massive voter fraud which took place during the 2020 Presidential Election - The reason for what took place on January 6th."[27][28]

Steve Bannon
On July 22, 2022, a federal jury convicted Bannon on two counts of contempt of Congress for his refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Bannon was sentenced to serve four months in prison.[29][30] The charges stemmed from his refusal to appear for a deposition or provide documents to the committee. Bannon was indicted on these charges on Nov. 12, 2021.[31] Judge Carl Nichols presided over the trial.[32]

In November 2022, Bannon appealed the verdict. While the appeal was ongoing, Bannon's sentence was stayed. A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the lower court's ruling in May 2024.[33] On June 6, 2024, Nichols ruled that Bannon had to report to prison on July 1, 2024.[34]

The committee issued a subpoena to Bannon on Sept. 23. After his refusal to comply, the committee unanimously voted to hold Bannon in contempt on Oct. 19.[35] The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve the charge 229-202 on Oct. 21.[36]

Peter Navarro
On September 7, 2023, a federal jury convicted Navarro on two counts of contempt of Congress by a federal grand jury for his refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, breach of the U.S. Capitol. The charges carried a minimum sentence of 30 days and a maximum sentence of one year in jail, and a maximum fine of $100,000.[37] On January 26, 2024, Navarro was sentenced to four months in jail.[38]

Navarro was indicted on June 3, 2022. He was charged with one contempt count for refusing to appear for a deposition and another for refusing to produce documents. The committee issued a subpoena to Navarro on February 9, 2022.[39] After his refusal to comply, the committee unanimously voted to hold Navarro in contempt on March 28.[40] The U.S. House of Representatives voted 220-203 to approve the charge on April 6.[41] On June 17, Judge Amit Priyavadan Mehta said the trial would begin on November 17.[42] The trial was delayed to January 2023.[43] The trial was delayed again on January 27, 2023.[44] The trial began on September 6, 2023.[45]


Noteworthy events

Republican National Committee censure of Reps. Cheney and Kinzinger (2022)

On February 4, 2022, during the Republican National Committee's Winter Meeting, party officials voted to approve a resolution censuring Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).[46] Both lawmakers were appointees to the House select committee to investigate the root causes of the breach of the U.S. Capitol and general security issues related to the incident. The resolution said, in part, that "Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger are participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse, and they are both utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes."[47]

In a tweet before the approval of the censure, Cheney said: "The leaders of the Republican Party have made themselves willing hostages to a man who admits he tried to overturn a presidential election and suggests he would pardon Jan. 6 defendants, some of whom have been charged with seditious conspiracy. I’m a constitutional conservative and I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump."[48]

In a statement on the censure, Kinzinger said: "Rather than focus their efforts on how to help the American people, my fellow Republicans have chosen to censure two lifelong Members of their party for simply upholding their oaths of office. [...] My efforts will continue to be focused on standing up for the truth and working to fight the political matrix that's led us to this point."[49]


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ CBS News, "House votes to create select committee to investigate January 6 attack," June 30, 2021
  2. ↑ Politico, "Pelosi announces select committee will investigate Jan. 6 attack," June 24, 2021
  3. ↑ House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, "Membership," accessed June 29, 2022
  4. ↑ House Speaker Pelosi, "Pelosi Names Members to Select Committee to Investigate January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol," July 1, 2021
  5. ↑ USA Today, "Pelosi rejects GOP picks Jordan, Banks on Jan. 6 committee; McCarthy threatens to pull out," July 22, 2021
  6. ↑ House Speaker, "Pelosi Statement on Republican Recommendations to Serve on the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol," July 21, 2021
  7. ↑ CBS News, "McCarthy pulls all Republicans from January 6 Select Committee after Pelosi rejects two picks," July 21, 2021
  8. ↑ CNN, "Pelosi appoints Kinzinger to 1/6 House select committee," July 25, 2021
  9. ↑ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, "THOMPSON ANNOUNCES SENIOR STAFF FOR SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE JANUARY 6TH ATTACK ON THE U.S. CAPITOL," July 22, 2021
  10. ↑ Just Security, "Primer on the Hearings of the January 6th Select Committee," June 2, 2022
  11. ↑ CNN, "House Jan. 6 committee report delayed and anticipated to be released Thursday," December 21, 2022
  12. ↑ WTOP, "House Jan. 6 committee chair says ‘goal’ is to restart public hearings on Sept. 28," September 14, 2022
  13. ↑ Twitter, "January 6th Committee on September 27, 2022," accessed September 27, 2022
  14. ↑ Twitter, "Meet the Press on October 3, 2022," accessed October 4, 2022
  15. ↑ NRP, "Live updates: Jan. 6 committee focuses 8th hearing on what Trump did during the riot," July 21, 2022
  16. ↑ NPR, "Here's every word from the seventh Jan. 6 committee hearing on its investigation," July 12, 2022
  17. ↑ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, "06/28/2022 SELECT COMMITTEE HEARING.," June 28, 2022
  18. ↑ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, "06/23/22 SELECT COMMITTEE HEARING.," June 23, 2022
  19. ↑ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, "06/21/22 SELECT COMMITTEE HEARING.," June 21, 2022
  20. ↑ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, "06/16/22 SELECT COMMITTEE HEARING.," June 16, 2022
  21. ↑ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, "06/13/22 SELECT COMMITTEE HEARING.," June 13, 2022
  22. ↑ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, "06/09/2022 SELECT COMMITTEE HEARING," June 9, 2022
  23. ↑ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, "THE LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE ON JANUARY 6TH.," July 27, 2021
  24. ↑ The New York Times, "Accusing Trump of insurrection, the Jan. 6 committee refers him to the Justice Dept." December 19, 2022
  25. ↑ January 6th Committee Website, "Subpoena," October 21, 2022
  26. ↑ C-SPAN, "Ninth Hearing on Capitol Attack," October 13, 2022
  27. ↑ Truth Social, "Donald Trump on October 13, 2022," accessed October 13, 2022
  28. ↑ Truth Social, "Donald Trump on October 13, 2022," accessed October 13, 2022
  29. ↑ The Hill, "Jury convicts Bannon of contempt of Congress," July 22, 2022
  30. ↑ The New York Times, "Bannon Sentenced to 4 Months in Prison for Contempt of Congress," October 21, 2022
  31. ↑ Department of Justice, "Two Charges Filed for Failing to Honor House Subpoena From Select Committee Investigating Jan. 6 Capitol Breach," November 12, 2021
  32. ↑ Politico, "Judge sets July 18 for Bannon ‘contempt of Congress’ trial," December 7, 2021
  33. ↑ Politico, "Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia," accessed June 6, 2024
  34. ↑ Associated Press, "Trump ally Steve Bannon must surrender to prison by July 1 to start contempt sentence, judge says," June 6, 2024
  35. ↑ Reuters, "U.S. House committee backs contempt charge against Trump aide Bannon," October 20, 2021
  36. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "House Votes to Hold Steve Bannon in Criminal Contempt of Congress," October 21, 2021
  37. ↑ NBC News, "Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro is convicted of contempt of Congress in Jan. 6 investigation," September 7, 2023
  38. ↑ CNN, "Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro sentenced to 4 months in jail for defying congressional subpoena," January 25, 2024
  39. ↑ United States Department of Justice, "Peter Navarro Indicted for Contempt of Congress," June 3, 2022
  40. ↑ Roll Call, "Jan. 6 panel: Scavino, Navarro should be held in contempt," March 28, 2022
  41. ↑ Roll Call, "House votes to hold Navarro, Scavino in contempt of Congress," April 6, 2022
  42. ↑ The Washington Post, "Former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro pleads not guilty to contempt," June 17, 2022
  43. ↑ The Hill, "Peter Navarro contempt trial postponed," November 11, 2022
  44. ↑ Roll Call, "Judge delays Peter Navarro trial on contempt of Congress charges," January 27, 2023
  45. ↑ CourtListener, "United States v. NAVARRO (1:22-cr-00200)," accessed September 6, 2023
  46. ↑ Independent, "GOP censures Cheney, Kinzinger, moves to pull out of debates," February 4, 2022
  47. ↑ Twitter, "Allan Smith on February 4, 2022," accessed February 4, 2022
  48. ↑ Twitter, "Liz Cheney on February 3, 2022," accessed February 4, 2022
  49. ↑ Twitter, "Adam Kinzinger on February 3, 2022," accessed Ferbuary 4, 2022
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