Jan. 6 committee to make criminal referrals to Justice Department
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The Jan. 6 committee will make criminal referrals to the Department of Justice as the panel wraps up its investigation into the events that led up to the deadly riot.
“We have made decisions on criminal referrals,” Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the chairman of the committee, told reporters, saying “we will” on the question of whether referrals will be pursued. He added that consideration of witnesses potentially committing perjury is “part of the discussion,” per CNN.
JAN. 6 COMMITTEE CONSIDERING CRIMINAL REFERRALS AS PANEL WRAPS UP INVESTIGATION
Though the committee decided to send referrals to the DOJ, it is reportedly still considering whom to refer and on what grounds.
Chairman Thompson tells us that the select committee has *not* made any specific decisions about whether any particular person will be criminally referred to DOJ. The committee has generally agreed that it’s a tactic they will use, but no vote yet on who or for what.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) December 6, 2022
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), a member of the Jan. 6 committee, said Tuesday, “We’re in the process of bringing forward different recommendations to the full committee for consideration.”
A spokesperson for the committee said the “referrals to outside entities should be considered as a final part of its work. The committee will make decisions about specifics in the days ahead.”
The most likely candidates for criminal referrals are allies of former President Donald Trump. Referring Trump himself would not substantially add to the case against him since the committee has essentially done so several times through its investigation, though pushing the DOJ to investigate allegations of perjury or witness tampering criminally could provide a new avenue for prosecution, according to Politico.
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The panel discussed making criminal referrals at a meeting last week that included consideration of how to address the Republican lawmakers who refused to comply with the committee’s subpoenas, a list including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL), Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ). Trump sued the committee to avoid complying with his subpoena.
The news comes the same day congressional leaders are holding a Gold Medal Ceremony for the police who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6.
