After months of partisan politicking and performative hearings, the January 6th select committee has finally taken the unprecedented plunge that we knew they would be taking all along.
On Monday, during what was advertised as their final hearing before the new Congress arrives in January, the committee suggested that former President Donald J. Trump be referred to the Department of Justice on 4 criminal charges.
The House Jan. 6 committee voted Monday to recommend the Justice Department pursue a batch of criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for his role in an effort to overturn the 2020 election and the fomenting of a deadly mob at the Capitol.
Trump was the first president in American history to be impeached twice. Now, he is also the first president ever to be formally referred by Congress for potential criminal prosecution.
The select committee also took aim at Trump’s top allies — on and off Capitol Hill — who worked with the 45th president to block certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory and illegitimately keep Trump in power.
“We understand the gravity of each and every referral we are making today, just as we understand the magnitude of the crime against democracy that we describe in our report,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who led the Jan. 6 subcommittee that examined referrals. “But we have gone where the facts and the law lead us, and inescapably they lead us here.”
So, what were the potential charges?
The Jan. 6 committee is urging DOJ to consider a number of charges against Trump, including conspiracy to defraud the federal government; obstruction of an official proceeding, in this case Congress’ certification of electoral votes; conspiracy to make a false statement; and inciting or assisting those in an insurrection.
The DOJ will now need to decide on how exactly to proceed.
It is worth noting that Trump has already been acquitted of “inciting” the alleged attempted insurrection during his second impeachment trial.
