Democrats pressure Jan. 6 panel to pursue criminal referrals of Trump
by Mike Lillis - 06/15/22 5:30 AM ET
The committee investigating last year’s attack on the U.S. Capitol says it is undecided on the question of whether to issue a criminal referral of former President Trump for his role in the rampage. For a growing number of Democrats watching from the sidelines, however, the answer is already clear.
“I think they should do criminal referrals,” said Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.). “Obviously, with what they’ve uncovered, there’s criminal conspiracy there. And having the information, I think they should refer it to the Department of Justice for prosecution. It all starts at the top.”
Vargas is hardly alone.
Democrats have long considered Trump to be the central figure in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, and any lingering Democratic doubts about Trump’s role appear to have been put to rest by the first two public hearings of the committee.
“Given what we’ve heard in the last couple days I think there’s enough evidence there — or at least questions — that warrant the potential for the DOJ to open a grand jury investigation on the president,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.). “There’s no question about it.”
The issue of criminal referrals was thrust into the spotlight on Monday, following the House select committee’s second public hearing, when Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said the panel would not be issuing formal referrals to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“No, that’s not our job,” he told reporters. “Our job is to look at the facts and circumstances around Jan. 6, what caused it, and make recommendations after that.”
The comments caught the attention of some other leading figures on the committee, most notably Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the vice chair, who made clear that the question of referrals remains unresolved.
“The January 6th Select Committee has not issued a conclusion regarding potential criminal referrals,” Cheney tweeted. “We will announce a decision on that at an appropriate time.”
Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), another member of the select committee, also weighed in to emphasize that the panel “has yet to vote” on whether to issue criminal referrals. She said it was part of the committee’s charge to do so if investigators discover that crimes were in fact committed.
“If criminal activity occurred, it is our responsibility to report that activity to the DOJ,” Luria tweeted.
The Justice Department has already charged more than 800 people in connection to the deadly riot, including members of several white nationalist groups charged with seditious conspiracy. While a criminal referral from the select committee carries no legal weight, it would put additional pressure on DOJ prosecutors to get more aggressive when it comes to adding members of Trump’s inner circle — or the president himself — to that list of indictments.
more
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3523852-democrats-pressure-jan-6-panel-to-pursue-criminal-referrals-of-trump/
