After an 18-month-long investigation into the 2021 Capitol riots, the commission of inquiry set up to investigate them has closed.
A panel of the US House of Representatives charged with investigating the Capitol riot at its final session (Reuters photo)
by Associated Press6 January House Committee Closes, Completes 18-Month Whirlwind Investigation Into 2021 Capitol Riots, Findings Submitted To Justice Department With Recommendations To Indict Former President Donald Trump it was done.
Committee time officially ends on Tuesday when the new Republican-led House takes office. With much of the committee’s staff already gone, the remaining aides have spent the past two weeks releasing much of the panel’s material, including the 814-page final report. 200 copies of witness interviews and documents used to support their conclusions.
Lawmakers said they wanted to make their work public to highlight the seriousness of the attack and Trump’s multifaceted efforts to overturn the election.
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Chairman Benny Thompson, D-Miss., and Vice Chairman Liz Cheney, Wyo.R-Wyo., wrote in their departure message on Monday: “We have filed a series of criminal charges and our justice system is to blame for what comes next.”
Some of the commission’s work (such as videotapes of hundreds of witness interviews) will not be released immediately. The Commission has sent these videos and other Commission records to the National Archives, where they will be available by law after 50 years. Committee members said they are not currently releasing the videotape because it would be too difficult to edit the classified information.
However, the Republican Party’s next leader may try to get their hands on these materials sooner. A provision in the package of proposed House rules released Sunday requires the National Archives to return “all records related to the committee” to the House by Jan. 17.
It is unclear whether the Republican-led House of Representatives will be able to enforce the provision and what to do with the materials.
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The commission’s conclusions follow one of the most aggressive and extensive congressional investigations in recent memory. Commissions formally and informally he interviewed over 1,000 witnesses, collected over a million documents, and held 10 high-stakes hearings. Two Republicans on a panel after House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy refused to appoint minority lawmakers, angered by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s rejection of two of his proposed appointments. and seven Democrats were able to conduct their investigations with little interference.
Ultimately, the committee found that Trump orchestrated a “conspiracy” on multiple levels, pressured states, federal officials, and lawmakers to try to reverse his defeat, attacking the Capitol and ending Congress. came to the unanimous conclusion that it incited a violent mob of supporters to obstruct the Proof of victory for President Joe Biden. The panel recommended that the Justice Department indict Trump on four crimes, including supporting a riot.
The so-called criminal referral has no legal basis, but it is a strong statement by the Commission, which is being investigated on Jan. 6 and Trump’s actions by Attorney General Merrick Garland and Special Counsel Jack Smith. has already exerted political pressure on .
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“This is the most intense investigation I have ever been involved in,” said California Congressman Zoe Lofgren. He served in the House for almost 30 years, serving as an assistant to members of the House Judiciary Committee in the 1970s. He was preparing to impeach then-President Richard Nixon. Lofgren also served in the House for the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton, and served as impeachment manager in Trump’s first impeachment three years ago.
“I have never been involved in something this extensive and intense,” said Lofgren.
She said at the start of the survey, she felt that if there was a renewed zeal to protect democracy, it would succeed. 44% of voters said the future of democracy was a major consideration in voting.
Lofgren said he believed the commission had made it clear Trump was responsible for the riots, saying “it wasn’t done last minute.”
“I think we proved it and sent it all over to the Justice Department,” Lofgren said. “Let’s see what they do.”
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