January 6th attack on the US Capitol: Who are the witnesses and who else might be asked to testify?

The first public hearing of the January 6th House select committee is set to begin this week, starting at 8pm on Thursday 9 June. It will be the first opportunity for members of the panel to present their findings to the public and they have been given a prime-time slot.

Thursday’s hearing will be the first of six, but at this stage we know fairly little about the actual content. Although, there is speculation that some major names will be cited in their findings.

Who are the witnesses at the first January 6th hearing?

Although an official witness list has not yet been published, we do know some of the witnesses who are likely to be involved in Thursday’s hearing. Documentary filmmaker Nick Quested was embedded in the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys during the attack, and will appear to give evidence.

This will be the first time that Quested has spoken openly about his experience and his testimony is expected to be complimented by footage recorded by his crew. The documentary has not yet been released yet, but some of the footage recorded has been used by the Department of Justice to prosecute cases.

Another eye witness expected to feature heavily is Caroline Edwards, a Capitol Police officer who suffered a serious head injury in the attack. She has given interviews outlining the long-term consequences of January 6th.

“You kind of have this, this guilt of like, ‘Am I, am I making this up?’ -- because I can’t tell you know I can’t show in a tangible way that I’m injured, but you know I really have to tell people I’m not feeling good today,” she said.

Five Republican lawmakers subpoenaed by the panel

Last month the select committee announced that it had issued subpoenas to a group of five Republican lawmakers “as part of the committee’s investigation into the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol and its causes.”

The group consisted of Reps. Kevin McCarthy, Scott Perry, Jim Jordan, Andy Biggs, and Mo Brooks. All five had previously been invited to appear voluntarily before the committee because the panel thought they have relevant knowledge about the specifics of the January 6th attack and other activities related to the presidential transfer of power. All refused to attend.

Select Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson said: “Before we hold our hearings next month, we wished to provide members the opportunity to discuss these matters with the committee voluntarily. Regrettably, the individuals receiving subpoenas today have refused and we’re forced to take this step to help ensure the committee uncovers facts concerning January 6th.”

Rep. McCarthy is thought to be of particular interest to the panel because was in communication with former President Trump “before, during, and after the attack,” according to the committee statement.