The Jan. 6 committee on Monday urged the Justice Department to consider prosecuting Donald Trump for four different crimes — actions that touch not only the former president’s efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election but also his behavior during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
The committee's referrals to the Justice Department carry no legal weight — federal prosecutors are already conducting their own investigation and are the sole deciders of whether to pursue charges against Trump. That investigation is being led by a newly named special counsel, Jack Smith, who has already signed off on a flurry of subpoenas but has made no public statements about what direction his criminal probe will take.
