The U.S. House Select Committee’s final meeting ended Monday with a recommendation to the Justice Department that it bring criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for his contributions to what the committee believes was an insurrection against the government on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort by protesters to stop the certification of the presidential election results.
The committee, comprised of seven Democrats and two liberal Republicans, voted unanimously and also released a summary of its report that accuses Trump of being part of a “multi-part conspiracy” to change the outcome of the election. The committee wants the Justice Department to hold the former president accountable for the actions of those who broke through the police lines and entered the U.S. Capitol that day.
Also on Monday, the committee voted to ask the Justice Department to prosecute John Eastman, a conservative lawyer, for conspiracy to defraud the United States and his role in obstructing an official process. The committee’s report states:
“Beginning election night and continuing through January 6th and thereafter, Donald Trump purposely disseminated false allegations of fraud related to the 2020 Presidential election in order to aid his effort to overturn the election and for purposes of soliciting contributions.
“These false claims provoked his supporters to violence on January 6th.
“Knowing that he and his supporters had lost dozens of election lawsuits, and despite his own senior advisors refuting his election fraud claims and urging him to concede his election loss, Donald Trump refused to accept the lawful result of the 2020 election. Rather than honor his constitutional obligation to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,” President Trump instead plotted to overturn the election outcome.
“Despite knowing that such an action would be illegal, and that no State had or would submit an altered electoral slate, Donald Trump corruptly pressured Vice President Mike Pence to refuse to count electoral votes during Congress’s joint session on January 6th.
“Donald Trump sought to corrupt the U.S. Department of Justice by attempting to enlist Department officials to make purposely false statements and thereby aid his effort to overturn the Presidential election. After that effort failed, Donald Trump offered the position of Acting Attorney General to Jeff Clark knowing that Clark intended to disseminate false information aimed at overturning the election.”
It is up to the Justice Department, and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, to decide whether to pursue charges against Trump and Eastman.
The final report by the Jan. 6 Committee is at this link:
