Former Senate sergeant-at-arms Michael Stenger, who oversaw security during the January 6 insurrection and resigned one day later, died suddenly Monday (June 27) morning, hours ahead of a scheduled hearing to present new evidence on Tuesday (June 28), Politico reports.

Stenger, 71, a Marine Corps veteran, had previously worked in the Secret Service for 35 years before joining the Senate sergeant-at-arms team in 2011 and later being appointed to post in 2018.

Stenger's former colleagues were notified of his sudden death Monday afternoon, Politico reports.

The 71-year-old's death came hours before the additional January 6 panel hearing in which former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is expected to present “recently obtained evidence and receive witness testimony," the New York Post reports.

Cassidy Hutchinson, who served as a special assistant in the White House during former President Donald Trump's administration, is scheduled to take the stand and provide intel on the administration's response to the Capitol insurrection, which involved Trump supporters attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Stenger stepped down from his position as Senate sergeant-at-arms after then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) requested his resignation following public criticism over security during the January 6 insurrection, with House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving and Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund also resigning after the incident.

A Senate Rules Committee report blamed Sund and Stenger's inaction for the violence escalating at the Capitol, claiming that Sund hadn't submitted a formal request to Capitol Police for National Guard support prior to the incident taking place, rather having "informal conversations" with Stenger about possibly needing National Guard troops to be present during protests conducted by Trump supporters.

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