January 6 Committee Recommends Trump Face Criminal Charges

The January 6 committee on Monday referred former president Donald Trump to the Department of Justice for prosecution on four charges related to his conduct leading up to and during the riot that occurred in the Capitol in the wake of his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

The referrals include obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., making a false statement, and inciting an insurrection, the last of which could disqualify Trump from holding public office in the future. Trump recently announced his third presidential bid.

On January 6, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol with the alleged intention to stop the certification of the election results for then Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Trump attempted to “disrupt the peaceful transition of power” in a grave betrayal of duty as outlined in the “take care” clause of the Constitution and in a “crime against democracy,” committee member and Democratic representative Jamie Raskin said. Enough evidence was collected to merit the referrals, he added. Against the urging of his family members and some advisors, Raskin claimed, Trump continued to stoke the false narrative that the election was “stolen” via widespread voter fraud and Democratic manipulation.