Election-denier Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) announced on Monday that the January 6 Committee would refer former President Donald Trump for criminal investigation to the Department of Justice (DOJ) based on four allegations.
The charges are conspiracy to defraud the United States; obstruction of an official proceeding; conspiracy to make a false statement; and inciting, assisting, or aiding and comforting an insurrection against the country.
Raskin himself has criticized past certifications of election results, the action that was the main reason for him and the rest of the committee to unanimously vote to refer the former president for prosecution.
Raskin revealed that four representatives of the Republican opposition, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who is likely to be the next Speaker of the House, will be referred for investigation to the House Ethics Committee for sanctions as they did not comply with subpoenas to testify. Democrats have taken the unusual step of targeting the opposition after ruling out McCarthy's right to choose minority members for the committee.
The enabling resolution did not state that the January 6 Committee had received the authority to issue legal referrals to the Department of Justice, to sanction members of Congress, or even to issue subpoenas without first consulting with a reputable “ranking member” who leads the minority members of the committee (there isn't one).
The committee is expected to be dissolved when the new Republican-led House takes over in two weeks.
