What will happen after the final Jan 6 committee hearing investigating the Capitol riot?
Federal prosecutors will have to decide if they will follow up on the committee’s referrals
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Your support makes all the difference.The House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot has scheduled its final meeting, and criminal referrals are likely to follow.
On Monday, the committee will hold its final meeting and vote on criminal referrals it intends to make to law enforcement agencies.
The group — which is comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans — interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses and recounted the events before, during, and after the failed insurrection over almost a dozen televised hearings.
The committee’s final report is expected to include hundreds of pages of evidence alleging former President Donald Trump attempted to subvert the transfer of power and undermine the nation’s democratic process, according to The Associated Press.
Representative Bennie Thompson has not made clear how many criminal referrals the committee will send to the US Justice Department, nor has he made clear who will be referred.
Once referrals are made to the Justice Department, federal prosecutors will review the evidence and determine whether they will proceed with charges.
The committee zeroed in on former President Donald Trump’s actions in the lead up to and throughout 6 January, 2021, and has built an argument placing the blame for the violence — and resulting injuries and deaths — on him.
"The violence was no accident. It represents Trump’s last stand, most desperate chance to halt the transfer of power," Mr Thompson said during a hearing.
If the committee makes a formal criminal referral to the Justice Department for Mr Trump, it will put pressure on the agency to pursue charges against the former president.
The criminal recommendations were drafted by four lawyers who sat on the committee, comprised of Representatives Jamie Raskin, Liz Cheney, Zoe Lofgren and Adam Schiff.
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