The Congressional Commission investigating the attack is opening its public hearings with numerous testimony and evidence linking the former US president to the plot
Millions of Americans saw disturbing video footage for the first time last night — last morning in Spain — and heard startling statements from witnesses during the live broadcast of the Congressional Commission’s first public hearing investigating the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The first session roughly uncovered a synthesis of the graphic and audiovisual material to succinctly present the complex plot that sought to prevent confirmation of Joe Biden’s victory in the November 2020 presidential election.
Committee members told how the brutal destruction of the building was unleashed by hordes of violent men who overwhelmed the police security system and forced congressmen – including Vice President Mike Pence himself – as the violent crowd screamed “hang him!” seek asylum.
The report presented extensive evidence that the attack was premeditated, instigated and staged by former President Donald Trump and his allies to remain in power.
North American audiences saw dramatic unpublished footage for the first time accompanied by the testimony of British filmmaker Nick Quested, who shot a documentary during the attack that was embedded in the far-right group Proud Boys. Rare White House witness statements were also uncovered, such as those of people directly associated with former Vice President Mike Pence, such as his top former adviser, Greg Jacob; former federal judge J. Michael Luttig; and his former chief of staff, Marc Short. Statements have also been collected from Trump’s own family, such as his daughter Ivanka and his brother-in-law Jarred Kushner.
The Commission presented in exquisite detail the first of six public hearings, broadcast in prime time and produced by former ABC News president James Goldston. The veteran of mass-audience television programs such as the popular “Good Morning America” joined the Commission as an “unannounced advisor” and was responsible for shaping the material compiled by the Commission over ten months of work, that includes more than 140,000 documents and more than 1,000 statements and interviews.
Goldston’s team choreographed the six public hearings into standard television episode lengths, from 90 minutes to two and a half hours, applying popular storytelling techniques to create a palatable plot for audiences of all kinds. The footage has been edited to achieve maximum impact on television and on social networks.
Essentially, the television show contained all the elements of a literary drama to ensure a box office success: the raging king isolated in his tower about to be dethroned incites a violent mob that is invited to enter the Capitol by force. as sinister characters plot sedition in dark power rooms.
The seven Democrats and two Republicans — rejected by their own parties — who make up the Commission have not taken any chances in their media strategy to get maximum public and press attention, in addition to convincing skeptics. Nothing has been left to chance to amplify the impact of this historic televised event. Dozens of public parties hosted by activists were held in homes and union centers across the country to follow the program in the company of friends.
Donald Trump was an exceptional bystander, enraged by the vast and overwhelming evidence against him being exposed directly to the public without filters, while he was unable to intervene in his own defense. The former president has tried to undermine this investigation at all costs through endless lawsuits. Trump further attempts to define history, stating that the attack “represented the greatest movement in our country’s history.”
In a surprise move, the FBI yesterday arrested Republican Ryan Kelley, a Michigan governor who was charged with a felony charge for his involvement in the Capitol Hill riots. The FBI conducted a search of Kelley’s home in Allendale, Michigan, and he was charged in Grand Rapids District Court.
Kelley, 40, was caught on video standing in the crowd of rioters attacking and assaulting members of the Capitol Police. Planning commissioner Allendale is one of five Republicans seeking the Republican nomination to replace Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer in November’s election.
Kelley’s involvement in the January 6 uprising is well known and there are multiple videos showing him rallying the crowd and standing on a pillar of the stairs, waving his hand to lead him into the Capitol.
The charges against Kelly include knowingly trespassing, disorderly conduct, committing assault and willfully damaging federal government property.
840 accused
The arrest coincided with the first of the televised Congressional Commission hearings investigating the uprising. His presence on Capitol Hill that day was reported by a call to an FBI tipline and by a confidential source who has been with the federal agency since 2020 providing information on domestic terrorist groups in Michigan.
Kelley is one of more than 840 people charged so far in connection with the attack. According to a report by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, at least 18 Republican state lawmakers who attended the rally on Jan. 6, 2021, are currently holding official positions.
Source: La Verdad
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