Thursday’s 20:00 ET hearing will feature testimony from two people who interacted directly with the Proud Boys during and around the attack, including documentary Nick Questid.
Here’s what you need to know about Quested and why the committee will present his testimony live.
A British director, Quested was embedded in the Proud Boys for a significant period of time until January 6 and is considered to have witnessed the fact first hand because of the time he spent with the band.
He has already been removed from office by the commission and the Ministry of Justice for his experience on January 6th and has provided the commission and the ministry with a video of his documentary.
Why is the focus on Proud Boys?
Proud Boys leaders were involved in some of the early clashes that overcame police lines and disrupted the Capitol.
The group has been in the spotlight of the Ministry of Justice for months, and on Monday the agency accused Proud Boys chief Enrique Tario and four other leaders of plotting a rebellion in connection with the January 6 attack.
These are the most aggressive accusations made by the Ministry of Justice against the Proud Boys, and the first accusations by prosecutors that the group tried to oppose by force the presidential transfer of power.
Tario and his co-defendants had previously pleaded not guilty to previous charges.
Who else will testify live?
Outside Quested, the commission is expected to address Capitol police officer Caroline Edwards, who was injured after part in a feud with members of the Proud Boys while defending the US Capitol during the riot.
CNN also learned that two people directly connected to former Vice President Mike Pence were among those who received invitations to participate.
Former Pence Chief Counsel Greg Jacob and former Federal Judge J. Michael Lutig received information from the commission about his possible testimony. CNN has also learned that former Pence chief of staff Mark Short is expected to be called to testify.
All three men have already been questioned in private by commission investigators. In some cases, their testimony has already been used by the commission as part of court documents and requests to call other potential witnesses in their investigation.
What is the purpose of public discussions?
Overall, committee members are annoyed that the hearings may focus on the role of former President Donald Trump in undermining the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The panel is working on the thesis that Trump’s obsession with losing the election and spreading false claims about the results laid the groundwork for the deadly Capitol uprising.
CNN’s Ryan Nobles, Annie Grayer and Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.
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