After a whole bunch of interviews, 9 hearings and almost 18 months of labor, the Home committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol held its ultimate listening to on Monday earlier than releasing a report detailing its findings.
“I imagine nearly two years later, that is nonetheless a time for reflection and math,” mentioned Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). “If we’re to outlive as a nation of legal guidelines and democracy, this mustn’t ever occur once more.”
Thompson mentioned that whereas the report — which the committee voted to undertake Monday — will embody various coverage suggestions to forestall one other Jan. 6, making certain future assaults do not occur requires “accountability” by means of the prison justice system would require. The committee voted to advocate prison expenses in opposition to former President Trump, legal professional John Eastman and others.
“We have now each confidence that the work of this committee will assist present a roadmap for the judiciary,” he mentioned.
After opening statements from Thompson and Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the committee performed a brief video setting out the important thing findings from earlier hearings: Trump knew he’d misplaced the 2020 election, even when he tried to overturn the outcomes by pressuring state officers, ballot officers, the Justice Division and then-Vice President Mike Pence; Trump urged the mob to go to the Capitol; and he waited 187 minutes to publish a video urging his followers to depart.
Listed here are the important thing factors raised by the committee throughout its most up-to-date listening to.
A number of prison referrals
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) mentioned the panel’s subcommittee charged with investigating prison referrals would advocate prison expenses in opposition to Trump and Eastman.
The subcommittee proposed recommending that the Justice Division indict Trump, Eastman and others for obstructing an official course of and conspiring to defraud the USA. Raskin mentioned the committee additionally recommends that the Justice Division cost Trump with conspiracy to make false testimony and efforts to “instigate” or “help” a riot.
“We suggest that the committee pursue referrals when the seriousness of the precise offense, the seriousness of its precise hurt, and the central position of the offender within the total design of the illegal plan to overthrow the election compel us to talk up,” Raskin mentioned. “Ours is just not a justice system the place the foot troopers go to jail and the masterminds and ringleaders get a free move.”
New considerations about witness manipulation
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) mentioned Trump used the cash raised from supporters to rent attorneys and “to supply or supply employment to Witnesses.”
Lofgren mentioned a witness was informed by a lawyer she might inform the committee she could not recall occasions that she truly remembered. In accordance with Lofgren, the witness mentioned the legal professional refused to say who paid for his illustration. One other witness mentioned she was approached by organizations linked to Trump a few profitable potential job alternative previous to testifying, however the job did not work out.
“These provides had been withdrawn or by no means materialized as experiences circulated in regards to the content material of their testimony,” Lofgren mentioned. “The witness believed this was an try to affect her testimony and we’re involved that this effort could have been a technique to forestall the committee from studying the reality.”
New testimony from Hope Hicks
A number of witnesses together with former Atty. Common William Barr, have testified that they informed Trump there was no proof of widespread voter fraud that will have modified the end result of the election. Monday’s listening to included video testimony from a brand new witness, former White Home communications director Hope Hicks.
“I grew to become more and more involved that we had been damaging his legacy,” Hicks informed the previous president’s committee.
In response, Hicks mentioned Trump responded with “one thing alongside the strains of ‘Nobody’s going to care for my legacy if I lose… the one factor that issues is successful’.”
Recent Comments