Current Events > Security concerns for witness safety ahead of Jan 6 meeting

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The appearance was hastily arranged on a week where no public activity had been anticipated and a public hearing was announced by the committee just 24 hours before it was set to begin. The rush to hold the hearing -- after the panel had said it would not hold any more until July -- underscores the importance of Hutchinson's expected live testimony.

The panel has not revealed the topic of the hearing, which will start at 1 p.m. ET and will mark its sixth hearing this month. A source familiar with the committee's plans had told CNN earlier Monday that the panel was concerned about the security of a potential witness ahead of Tuesday's hearing. The safety of the witness and the proceedings in general is in part why the committee has been so secretive about who would appear on Tuesday and what topics would be discussed.

The security concerns have also led to new precautions being taken inside the hearing room. Another source told CNN that some of the people who had regular front row seats for hearings were told they likely will not get them on Tuesday for security reasons.