January 6 Committee on Donald Trump: Lock Him Up

Photo: GAELEN MORSE/REUTERS

In one of its final acts, the January 6 committee on Monday recommended that the Justice Department criminally charge Donald Trump over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which culminated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The House panel voted 9-0 to issue criminal referrals against the former president, alleging he committed four crimes: conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to make a false statement, and inciting an insurrection. The panel also recommended that John Eastman, a lawyer who was essential to Trump’s plan to stop the election certification, be prosecuted for obstruction and conspiracy to defraud the country.

Although the committee’s recommendations are largely symbolic in nature, they send a clear message about its monthslong investigation: Trump bears responsibility for the siege that occurred January 6, 2021.

“Ours is not a system of justice where foot soldiers go to jail and the masterminds and ringleaders get a free pass,” said Representative Jamie Raskin, one of the committee’s members.

The committee also referred four Republican congressmen to the House Ethics Committee for their lack of compliance with the panel’s subpoenas: Jim Jordan, Andy Biggs, Scott Perry, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. But with the House of Representatives set to change party hands in a matter of weeks, those lawmakers will not be facing consequences anytime soon.

During its last public meeting Monday, members reviewed the committee’s findings from its multiple hearings, airing past footage and clips of testimony from newer witnesses including former Trump aides Hope Hicks and Kellyanne Conway.

The video presentation cited Trump’s nonstop promotion of lies about the election and his consistent pressuring of the Justice Department and Vice-President Mike Pence to support his aims.

The Justice Department is already deep into its investigation of Trump and his associates with the newly appointed special counsel Jack Smith taking over the probe last month on orders from Attorney General Merrick Garland.

A final report of the committee’s findings is expected to be released by the end of the week.