Cotton among GOP lawmakers who back defendants in Jan. 6 case

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas consistently has staked out a tough-on-crime stance during his time in the Senate, but he and other congressional Republicans have sided with the defendants in a Supreme Court case about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

The justices hear oral arguments Tuesday in a case from Joseph Fischer, who is challenging his charges related to Jan. 6 under a law that allows up to a 20-year prison sentence for people convicted of “corruptly” obstructing, influencing or impeding a proceeding before Congress.

A decision that sides with Fischer could upend hundreds of pending cases against Jan. 6 defendants — as well as the Washington-based federal criminal case against former President Donald Trump.