Washington — House Democrats held an unofficial hearing on Tuesday to mark five years since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, featuring appearances from several groups of witnesses who recounted the riot.
Lawmakers who were part of a since-disbanded special committee that investigated the riot and President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election led the hearing, which was not an official proceeding since Democrats are in the minority. The hearing stretched nearly five hours as a number of witnesses testified on the events of that day and the aftermath.
“Five years ago today, a violent mob incited by Donald Trump attacked the Capitol as part of a concerted effort to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential Election and halt the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said as the hearing kicked off.
In a letter to House Democrats last week, Jeffries said the meeting was meant to highlight the pardons Mr. Trump granted to hundreds of rioters on his first day in office, some of whom have since been arrested on other charges involving guns, drugs and domestic abuse. Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said the hearing would also focus on “ongoing threats to free and fair elections posed by an out-of-control Trump administration.”
“Over the last five years, instead of holding those responsible for the attack accountable, Donald Trump and far-right extremists in Congress have repeatedly attempted to rewrite history, and whitewash the horrific events of Jan. 6,” Jeffries said Tuesday. “We will not let that happen.”
Around 140 police officers were injured in the attack that delayed the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory and caused millions of dollars in damages. Mr. Trump has downplayed the actions, praising the rioters as “patriots” and “peaceful people” and accusing the Biden administration of weaponizing the Justice Department against his supporters.
Pamela Hemphill, the only riot defendant to reject Mr. Trump’s pardon, testified at Tuesday’s hearing alongside former federal prosecutor Brendan Ballou and former Capitol Police officer Winston Pingeon. Hemphill said she was “deeply grateful for this chance to try to make amends and talk about what happened five years ago,” adding that “once I got away from the MAGA cult, and started educating myself about January the 6th, I knew what I did was wrong.”
“I pleaded guilty to my crimes, because I did the crime,” Hemphill said. “Accepting that pardon would be lying about what happened on January the 6th. I am guilty, and I own that guilt.”
Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California and former Reps. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican, and Elaine Luria, a Democrat, were among the witnesses. All three served on the Jan. 6 committee, which issued four criminal referrals to the Justice Department against Mr. Trump.
Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who pushed back against Mr. Trump’s allegations of election fraud in his state, also testified. Duncan recalled Mr. Trump’s pressure campaign to reject the election results in Georgia and the threats of violence he faced after he refused.
“At the time, I was a Republican. But there was no way I was going to illegally throw out millions of votes in our state,” Duncan said. “Make no mistake about it, it instantly put a target on my back.”
The former leader of the far-right group the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, and other Jan. 6 defendants held a march marking the day’s events. Tarrio said the event was in honor of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer while the Jan. 6 mob tried to breach the Speaker’s Lobby outside the House chamber.
Tarrio was among those who received clemency from Mr. Trump. He was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges and sentenced to 22 years in prison.
