Washington
CNN
—
A House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol has decided to refer the offenders to the Justice Department, Rep. Benny Thompson, chairman of the committee, said Tuesday. told reporters.
Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, said the commission didn’t narrow down the world of individuals who could be introduced.
Asked if he believed the witness had injured himself, Thompson said, “That’s part of the argument.”
When the panel makes an inquiry, Mr. Thompson said it will be a separate document from the panel’s final report sent to DOJ.
The committee declined to comment on Thompson’s comments, but plans to meet late Tuesday.
Multiple sources familiar with the commission’s work say a subcommittee of members is seeking evidence of possible obstruction, possible perjury, possible tampering with witnesses, and possible referral of criminals to the Justice Department. He was tasked with offering the entire committee options on how to present the
Democratic Rep. Jamie Ruskin, Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, and Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, Commission Vice Chair, all trained attorneys, make up this subcommittee.
The decision on whether to issue criminal charges has cast a heavy shadow on the committee.Members of the panel said former President Donald Trump and some of his closest allies said at their hearings. As such, it is widely agreed that he committed a crime when he pursued a conspiracy to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. For a long time there was a difference of opinion.
In the past, the issue has led to lively and sometimes contentious debates among members of the commission, sources said. Those who said they didn’t need Congress to investigate crimes because the commission has no prosecuting powers and the Justice Department is conducting its own criminal investigation into the ongoing Capitol attack. Stated.
Still, the idea of ​​Mr. Trump’s criminal referral, while perfectly symbolic in its nature, has hung like a shadow over the panel since it was formed, and many members have been skeptical of the committee’s support. I felt that it was a necessary step to complete the work of
