The Mississippi Congressman, who has chaired Speaker Pelosi’s select committee, says there’s no doubt Trump summoned a mob to Washington.
The U.S. House select committee appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) to investigate the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot met for its final time today, unveiling what will be in its final report. That report is said to be online for public viewing later this week.
The most notable action taken by the Committee today was a unanimous vote on the criminal referrals sent to the Department of Justice related to former President Donald Trump and members of his inner circle.
Specifically, the Committee is recommending Trump be prosecuted for the following:
- Obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress.
- Conspiracy to defraud the United States government.
- Conspiracy to make a false statement.
- Inciting, assisting, or aiding and comforting an insurrection.
The referrals are the first time in U.S. history that a committee in the House of Representatives has recommended criminal charges against a former President.
In addition, the Committee sent recommendations for sanctions to the House Ethics Committee against four members of Congress for failing to comply with the Committee’s subpoenas. Those members, all Republicans, are:
- House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (California)
- Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio)
- Rep. Andy Biggs (Arizona)
- Rep. Scott Perry (Pennsylvania).
McCarthy is vying to be the next Speaker of the House as Republicans are set to take the majority when the next Congress is seated in January 2023.
The referrals by the Committee are being called “unprecedented.”
The referrals hold no official legal authority and depend on the Department of Justice led by Attorney General Merrick Garland to execute further investigation and prosecution, should the Department decide to act.
Mississippi 2nd District Congressman Bennie Thompson has chaired the Pelosi-appointed House Committee for the past 18 months. He opened the meeting saying that Donald Trump broke the faith voters had in democracy, choosing to try and stay in office through a multipart scheme to overturn the 2020 election results and block the transfer of power even though he knew he lost the election.
“In the end, he summoned a mob to Washington and knowing that they were armed and angry, pointed them to the Capitol and told them to, “Fight like hell.’ There’s no doubt about this,” Thompson said.
Congressman Thompson said the bulk of the non-sensitive records will be made public by the end of the year.
“As a country, we remain in strange and uncharted waters. We’ve never had a President of the United States stir up a violent attempt to block the transfer of power,” Thompson said. “If we are to survive as a nation of laws and democracy, this can never happen again.”
The Mississippi Democrat said accountability for the Capitol riot was what was needed now, and that means accountability under the law in the criminal justice system.
“We have every confidence that the work of this Committee will help provide a roadmap to justice,” Thompson said.
You can watch the full final meeting of the House Committee below.
