January 6 committee news – latest: GOP braces for conspiracy-laden Trump anniversary speech as 91% of his backers still think Biden stole vote

At a press conference on Tuesday, US Capitol Police officials detailed the changes the agency has made to improve security and other aspects of their work in the year since thousands of Trump supporters stormed the complex.

J. Thomas Manger, the chief of US Capitol Police, explained that the agency had “formalised” the process for requesting and receiving aid from neighboring jurisdictions, received more equipment for the agency’s civil disturbance unit, while also strengthening mental health support resources for officers.

He also defended the agency’s track record in the face of a question about a recent incident in which a House aide in a nonpartisan office brought a gun through a security checkpoint; the aide was stopped soon afterwards, but the image of the firearm on the security screening machine was missed initially by an officer.

Former President Donald Trump’s estranged niece Mary Trump speculated that Mr Trump was likely enjoying watching rioters being “murderous” on his behalf as the events of January 6 unfolded.

Speaking with SiriusXM’s Dean Obeidallah on Monday, Ms Trump responded to reports that the committee could prove that Ivanka Trump, a White House adviser, was urging her father to act during the chaos. The ex-president waited hours as the attack unfolded to go on camera and tell rioters to leave the building, and never did so on live TV.

Mr Trump “probably thought, one, that it was fun to watch all of these people being murderous on his behalf…[and] two, that that would be the best way for him to stay in power”, she said.

A poll published by The Washington Post on Monday found that Republicans who regularly watch Fox News were far more likely to hold the view that those who stormed the Capitol on January 6 were “peaceful” than were those Republicans who do not watch the network often.

The poll also showed a 20-point gap between “Fox News Republicans” and non-watchers regarding whether they think the election was “stolen” by President Joe Biden, with Fox News viewers more likely to say that it was.

Those beliefs could come back to bite the GOP in the months ahead, as the survey also found less confidence among that group regarding whether they believe the midterm elections will be administered fairly.

A new analysis published in The Washington Post and ProPublica reveals the extent of the planning and calls for action that occurred on Facebook in the weeks and days leading up to the Capitol attack.

More than half a million posts were identified on the platform between 3 November, 2020, and 6 January, 2021, that questioned or outright denied the legitimacy of President Joe Biden’s victory, the Post and ProPublica reported. Many called for outright violence against elected and unelected officials including former Attorney General Bill Barr, who drew the ire of Trump supporters by declaring that he saw no evidence for claims of widespread voter or election fraud.

“Looks like civil war is becoming inevitable,” read one all-caps post that was published on the platform during that period. The surge in election-related conspiracies following the 2020 vote came as the company disbanded its Civic Integrity Team, which the Post and ProPublica report coincided with a “noticeable drop in policing” of such content.

Facebook officials have vocally denied that their platform played a key role in the organisation of the crowds that descended on the Capitol that day.

One of two parents who are accused of bringing their 14-year-old child to the Capitol and storming the building with the minor in tow will be sentenced on Friday.

Virginia Marie Spencer plead guilty to one count of demonstrating, parading, or picketing in the Capitol; because of her presence near Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office while rioters were outside calling for her death, prosecutors are seeking a three-month prison sentence followed by a lengthy probation period and a fine.

Her husband, Christopher Spencer, faces multiple charges, to all of which he has plead not guilty. Ms Spencer previously faced a number of charges, but accepted a plea agreement in September.

Mr Spencer’s trial date is unclear, and it whether they will face further consequences at the state level for bringing their teenage child to the attack is not publicly known.

Tuesday’s proceedings are just the beginning of a long week of news regarding sentencings for those convicted of or pleading guilty to participating in the riot.

Sentencing hearings in the cases of Mitchell Paul Vukich, Nicholas Alvear, and Nicholas Perretta will occur on Wednesday, while Virginia Marie Spencer will be sentenced on Friday.

The rapid pace of the sentencings underscores the volume of cases that DC courts are still working through as a result of January 6.

A second Capitol rioter will be sentenced on Tuesday as the proceedings in Michael Joseph Rusyn’s case are set to begin at 1:00 p.m. eastern.

Mr Rusyn, who plead guilty to one count of demonstrating, parading or picketing in the US Capitol, appears to have gotten a relatively light charge given what federal prosecutors say he was involved in during the January 6 attack. According to the sentencing memo filed in a US District Court, Mr Rusyn was involved in two separate scenes where rioters clashed with and overwhelmed law enforcement. He was also accused of lying to investigators in the course of the probe into his and others’ actions.

“His conduct…is more serious than that of other misdemeanor defendants who were not present when points of entry were breached and police lines were overwhelmed,” reads the sentencing memo.

Prosecutors are hoping for a sentence of 45 days and a $500 fine for Mr Rusyn.

Capitol Hill staffers are still traumatised by the violence and chaos that unfolded at their workplace nearly a year after thousands of Trump supporters stormed the complex.

In interviews with The Independent, many described how they were haunted by rioters’ explicit death threats against themselves and members of the House and Senate.

“No matter who you are, if you work up there, if you’re a staffer up there, you’re affected by it. If you were there, it is gonna leave a scar,” said a staffer with the office of the Clerk of the House.

The staffer, who remained anonymous, excoriated members of Congress for showing public support of Ashli Babbitt, a woman killed by police during the riot while attempting to breach the House chamber while lawmakers were inside against police orders to turn back.

“You’ll just see a tweet where a member you know supports Ashley Babbitt, and it’s like …f*** you. You know what I mean? Like f*** yourself,” he said.

Sentencing begins at 11:00 a.m. eastern for Leonard Pearson Ridge IV, a 19-year-old from Pennsylvania who has plead guilty to one charge in relation with his participation in the January 6 attack.

Mr Ridge plead guilty to one count of entering and remaining in a restricted area, a charge for which federal prosecutors in the District of Columbia are seeking 45 days in jail, community service hours, and a $500 fine.

“[T}he defendant used social media to boast about the riot, including that he had stormed the U.S. Capitol Building and that individuals had broken down doors,” reads the federal government’s sentencing request.

“The defendant’s conduct on January 6, like the conduct of scores of other individuals, took place in the context of a large and violent riot that relied on numbers to overwhelm law enforcement, breach the Capitol, and disrupt the proceedings. The requested sentence is necessary and appropriate in light of the defendant’s participation in the riot and his particular actions described herein,” it continues.

A former US attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan speculated during an MSNBC appearance that former President Donald Trump could be charged with seditious conspiracy, a violation of the US code that carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Barbara McQuade told the news network that Mr Trump’s supposed refusal to stop the riot from occurring could potentially rise to the level of attempting to obstruct an official procedure.

“There is a crime making it illegal to corruptly impede or obstruct an official proceeding, which includes proceedings before Congress,” she said. “If he had the power to stop that riot from happening and to permit the vote to go forward, his failure to do that could be that effort to corruptly obstruct the official proceeding.”

The US code defines seditious conspiracy as any attempt by two or more people to overthrow the US government, as well as any attempt to “prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States”, which could potentially include the congressional procedure to certify the results of the Electoral College vote on January 6.