WATCH: Longtime prosecutor testifies in hearing to mark 5th anniversary of Jan. 6 attack

Mary McCord, a longtime prosecutor and former acting assistant attorney general for national security, made an opening statement Tuesday in a hearing marking the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“To learn from Jan. 6, we must understand both that mis- and disinformation are the primary drivers of political violence and the political violence is not limited to physical attacks, including killings, but also includes the threats, intimidation, and harassment that squelch civic participation and undermine the functioning of our democratic republic,” said McCord, the executive director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law.

House Democrats reconvened the former special committee that investigated the attack to hear from witnesses and lawmakers about their experiences from that day and ongoing threats to elections.

The House Jan. 6 panel spent 18 months investigating the attack, President Donald Trump’s role in the events and his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Members interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses, some in live public hearings. The committee voted to refer Trump to the Justice Department for prosecution on four federal charges, including aiding an insurrection and conspiracy to defraud the United States, marking the first time Congress referred a former president for criminal charges. The panel disbanded in 2023.

Since starting his second term, Trump has pardoned or commuted sentences for more than 1,500 charged in connection with the attack.

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