Jan. 6 Committee Plans Public Hearings, Possible Subpoenas Over Capitol Attack

“Let me say that what we have been able to ascertain is that we came perilously close to losing our democracy as we have come to learn it,” Mr. Thompson said on CNN Sunday, adding later: “Our hearings will determine whether or not what occurred on January 6. was a comedy of errors or a planned effort on the part of certain individuals.”

“Before we just run out with a story we can’t defend, we will get to what we believe is the truth, and that’s the charge that we have as a committee,” he said.

Mr. Thompson also said Sunday that the committee won’t rule out making a referral of criminal charges to the Justice Department related to former President

Donald Trump’s

role in the Capitol attack. “If in the course of our review we find something that we think warrants review or recommendation to [the Justice Department], we’ll do it. We’re not looking for it, but if we find it, we’ll absolutely make the referral,” he said on ABC.

Rep.

Liz Cheney

(R., Wyo.), one of two GOP members of the panel, said that short of criminal referral the committee would look at legislative changes.

“I think that there are a number, as the chairman said, of potential criminal statutes at issue here. But I think there’s absolutely no question that it was a dereliction of duty,” said Ms. Cheney, one of a few Republicans who is a regular outspoken critic of Mr. Trump’s. “I think one of the things the committee needs to look at as we’re looking at a legislative purpose is whether we need enhanced penalties for that dereliction of duty.”

Mr. Thompson also left open the possibility of issuing subpoenas for the cooperation of two GOP lawmakers, Reps.

Scott Perry

of Pennsylvania and

Jim Jordan

of Ohio, with whom the committee previously asked to speak regarding Jan. 6. “We have asked them to come in voluntarily. Now, we will look at whatever opportunities we can to get those people to come in,” he said. Asked if that would include a subpoena, he responded: “We will look at it.”

Representatives for Messrs. Perry and Jordan didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The committee’s probe has intensified, with the House voting to hold former White House chief of staff

Mark Meadows

in contempt of Congress after he declined to comply with a subpoena to testify in front of the panel. Now, the Justice Department must decide whether it will bring charges against him.

“There’s communication between some of those members [of Congress] and the White House, especially asking…chief of staff Meadows to get the president to call off this riot or insurrection. So there’s some involvement. We just want to make sure we get to the bottom of it,” Mr. Thompson said on ABC.

Mr. Meadows didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The lawmakers’ comments came days before the first anniversary of the attack, when a mob of Mr. Trump’s supporters swarmed into the Capitol as Congress was meeting to certify the results of the 2020 election.

That day, Mr. Trump addressed a noontime crowd at a “Stop the Steal” rally at the Ellipse and encouraged supporters to march to the Capitol. Hundreds then clashed with police, severely injuring several officers. One intruder was shot dead by a Capitol police officer, who was later cleared of wrongdoing.

Highlighting the country’s deepening polarization, Americans are divided over the seriousness of the incident, who is to blame and the punishments that have been imposed.

A recent Quinnipiac poll found that 93% of Democrats and 56% of independents considered it an attack on the government, while only 29% of Republicans said the same. A Pew Research Center poll showed a declining share of Republicans who believe it is important that rioters be prosecuted, with 57% expressing support in September, down from 79% in March.

“Frankly, it’s crazy that that many people believe that—things that just simply aren’t true,” Maryland Gov.

Larry Hogan,

a Republican, said on CNN. “To think that the violent protesters who attacked the Capitol, our seat of democracy, on Jan. 6 was just tourists looking at statues, it’s insane that anyone could watch that on television and believe that’s what happened.”