WASHINGTON — The House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol unanimously voted Monday to urge the Justice Department to take the unprecedented step of pursuing several potential criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, including insurrection.
The referral of a former president to the Justice Department for criminal charges is a first in American history. In addition to recommending Trump’s prosecution for insurrection, the committee voted on three other charges against him: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, knowingly and willfully making materially false statements to the federal government and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
“This committee will lay out a number of recommendations in this final report,” Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said. “But beyond any specific details and recommendations we present, there’s one factor I believe is most important in preventing another Jan. 6 — accountability ... accountability that can only be found in the criminal justice system.”
