House Committee Makes Criminal Referrals for Donald Trump Involved in Capitol Riots

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The House of Representatives committee investigating the events of the Capitol riots on January 6th has unanimously approved its final report and has made criminal referrals for former President Donald Trump and others involved in the incident.

In a closed public session on Monday, the committee announced that it had referred reports to the US Department of Justice and other officials against Trump for obstructing official proceedings, defrauding the United States, making false statements, and inciting a coup d'état.

In a statement, the committee said, "Today marks an essential step toward transparency and accountability. Our leaders and the courts must hold accountable all the planners, perpetrators, funders, and those who incited the insurrection." The final report will not be released to the public until Wednesday.

Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, one of the two Republicans on the committee, accused the former president of attempting to abuse the powers of the Department of Justice in order to remain in office. He tweeted, "We now turn to the criminal justice system to ensure justice under the law.

The American people can ensure [Trump is] never elected again."

Marjorie Taylor Greene slammed the January 6 panel

However, not all members of Congress agree with the committee's actions. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican representative, slammed the January 6th panel, writing in a social media post, “They conduct fake trials and create fake charges,” she wrote.

“Then they imprison their political opponents in order to defeat them and scare and silence the country filled with people who support them”.

Recommended charges are:

• Obstruction of an official proceeding
• Conspiracy to defraud the United States
• Conspiracy to make a false statement to the federal government
• Inciting, assisting or aiding insurrection

If Trump were to be ultimately prosecuted, it would represent the prosecution of the highest-ranking official in the country at the time and could create significant problems for him in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential campaign.

While many individuals have already been charged in relation to the Capitol riots on various charges at various levels of government, the potential prosecution of Trump would be a major development.