The House January 6 select committee has officially voted to refer former president Donald Trump to the Department of Justice for prosecution on charges stemming from alleged violations of at least five separate sections of the United States criminal code. The dramatic move brings an end to a 18-month investigation into his role in the Capitol riot and increasing the pressure against the twice-impeached ex-president and his recently announced 2024 presidential campaign.
The committee’s vote to refer Mr Trump for possible prosecution by Jack Smith, the DOJ special counsel who Attorney General Merrick Garland named last month to oversee multiple ongoing criminal investigations into the ex-president’s conduct, comes as he is also facing possible criminal charges for his alleged unlawful retention of national defence information at his Palm Beach, Florida residence. Mr Trump also faces an ongoing investigation by a special grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, which is looking into his efforts to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in that state.
