Nick Quested, the Democrat’s star witness for the January 6 Committee’s first primetime public hearing, claimed that “someone in authority left the door open” at the U.S. Capitol.
Quested is a British filmmaker who followed the Proud Boys in the days leading up to and on January 6, 2021. Quested confirmed reports that the January 6 Committee would call him to testify as a witness during the committee’s first of six primetime televised hearings.
However, in a since-deleted Instagram post, Quested speculated that someone “in authority” opened the door for the protesters to come inside in a “deliberate act.”
Quested wrote:
The proud boys were organized and together. How many police were there at 11.22am on the steps of the capital. I count 1. This is a a deliberate act. Someone in authority left the door open and the mob walked in. #maga #riot #capitol #sedition, #senate #congress this is the first time I hear #fightfortrump. Where does it go now?
Thursday’s hearing will not be Quested’s first time appearing before the January 6 Committee. The British filmmaker reportedly spent seven hours testifying before the committee earlier this year.
Quested’s film crew reportedly obtained footage of a meeting between Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. The two organizations are likely to be at the forefront of the committee’s Thursday hearing.