Jan. 6 hearing live updates: House committee recommends DOJ investigate Trump over Capitol attack - USA TODAY

1 year ago 49

Congress' 18-month probe into Donald Trump's relation successful the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol attack has led the sheet to urge the Department of Justice analyse the erstwhile president's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including his relation regarding the battle connected the Capitol.

The committee’s last study made 17 findings astir the Capitol onslaught connected Jan. 6, 2021, including that Trump plotted to overturn the 2020 results contempt knowing he’d lost, sent an aggravated and equipped mob to the Capitol and failed to respond to the unit arsenic it unfolded connected television.

The findings served arsenic the committee's instauration for its recommendations for a transgression probe of Trump and morals inquiries into 4 Republican House members who defied their subpoenas.

The committee accused Trump of seeking to corrupt the Justice Department by trying to alteration its leadership, pressured authorities officials to overturn predetermination results and ne'er ordered the National Guard to supply reinforcements to besieged constabulary officers astatine the Capitol.

 "We recognize the gravity of each and each referral we are making today, conscionable arsenic we recognize the magnitude of the transgression against ideology that we described successful our report," Committee subordinate Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said. "But we person gone wherever the facts and the instrumentality pb america and inescapably they pb america here."

Today's developments:

  • In referring the lawsuit to the DOJ, the committee accused Trump of violating laws governing obstruction of Congress, inciting an insurrection, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and conspiracy to marque a mendacious statement.
  • The sheet besides is recommending  the House Ethics Committee analyse 4 Republican lawmakers – including Kevin McCarthy, the imaginable adjacent House speaker  – for defying the committee's subpoenas.
  • The Committee replayed moments of the grounds gathered during the investigation, including Trump aides and run lawyers, including erstwhile New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The purpose is to supply a timeline of cardinal events.
  • Committee members alleged that Trump’s associates offered employment to Jan. 6 witnesses successful an effort to power testimony. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., singled retired 1 witness, who she did not identify, getting offered employment that would marque her “financially precise comfortable.”
  • Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said Trump should not beryllium allowed to service arsenic president again, adding that "a warrant of a peaceful transportation of power” is astatine the bosom of the republic.

House Jan. 6 sheet recommends DOJ analyse Donald Trump

The Jan. 6 committee recommended Monday the Justice Department analyse astatine slightest a fistful of imaginable transgression charges against erstwhile President Donald Trump.

The section already has a peculiar counsel investigating Trump, but recommendations and grounds the committee gathered could supply a roadmap for prosecutors. Trump has said helium did thing incorrect successful challenging 2020 predetermination results and the committee is simply a partisan sham.

The committee argued Trump violated laws governing obstruction of Congress, inciting an insurrection, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to marque a mendacious connection and different conspiracy statutes.

– Bart Jansen

Jan. 6 sheet recommends Ethics inquiries for 4 GOP House members

The Jan. 6 committee recommended Monday the House Ethics Committee analyse 4 Republican lawmakers – including the imaginable adjacent House talker and the incoming caput of the Judiciary Committee – for defying the panel’s subpoenas.

The sheet targeted Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of California due to the fact that helium spoke with Trump connected Jan. 6; Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who is slated to caput the Judiciary Committee and besides spoke with Trump; Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, who introduced Trump to a imaginable replacement lawyer general; and Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, who attended meetings to overturn 2020 predetermination results.

The lawmakers each called the committee illegitimate and partisan for however it was organized. The Ethics Committee tin subject lawmakers, but is often stymied due to the fact that it is evenly 3 Democratic and 3 Republican members.

- Bart Jansen

White House mum connected Jan. 6 transgression referrals

The White House did not accidental whether it supports the Justice Department pursuing 4 transgression charges against Trump arsenic recommended by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

“We've been precise wide from the opening that what we saw connected Jan. 6 was the worst onslaught connected our ideology since the Civil War and the president has been precise wide our ideology continues and remains nether threat,” White House property caput Karine Jean-Pierre said.

She said the committee has been “doing important bipartisan enactment to get to the information of what happened” connected Jan. 6 “so we tin marque definite that doesn’t hap again.”

Jean-Pierre referred reporters to the Justice Department erstwhile it comes to the transgression referrals. The Justice Department declined to comment.

- Joey Garrison

Rep. Luria: Trump ‘lit the flame’ and continues to instrumentality it

Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., said Trump’s efforts to enactment successful powerfulness “came to a head” connected Jan. 6, erstwhile Trump instructed his supporters successful a code extracurricular the White House to march to the Capitol.

Luria recounted however Trump ignored his advisors and household who urged him to telephone for his supports to disperse aft a riot erupted astatine the Capitol. She said Trump for 187 minutes “actively disregarded his law obligation” to guarantee laws are faithfully executed and ne'er erstwhile spoke to the National Guard, Defense Department oregon Justice Department.

“As we've established done months of investigation, that is due to the fact that the mob wanted what President Trump wanted: to impede the peaceful modulation of power.”

Luria concluded: “In summary, President Trump lit the flame. He poured gasoline connected the occurrence and sat by successful the White House eating country for hours watching the occurrence burn, and contiguous inactive continues to instrumentality those flames.”

Aguilar details amerciable "pressure campaign" connected VP Pence 

Trump pressured erstwhile Vice President Mike Pence publically and privately, yet putting Pence successful nonstop information connected Jan. 6, said Rep. Pete Aguilar, R-Calif, successful statements connected the committee's findings. 

Aguilar described the erstwhile president's strategy based connected an "unfounded ineligible theory" that Pence had the quality to overturn the predetermination by rejecting electors during the certification of results. Pence himself had denied having specified power, which resulted successful an aggravated telephone telephone betwixt himself and Trump.

"Wimp is the connection I remember," said erstwhile adjunct to Trump, Nicholas Luna, successful a clip played by the committee. Luna had overheard the telephone telephone and added that Trump remarked helium made the incorrect determination years agone successful choosing Pence arsenic vice president.

- Savannah Kuchar

Murphy: Trump galvanized home convulsive extremists

Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., said Donald Trump’s invitation to protestation 2020 elections results astatine the Capitol spurred members of extremist groups specified arsenic the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, whose members person been convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Trump repeatedly encouraged radical to protestation astatine the Capitol connected Jan. 6, 2021, Murphy said. A tweet Dec. 19, 2020, concluded: “Be there, volition beryllium wild!”

“The president’s Dec. 19 tweet galvanized home convulsive extremists, including members of the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys and organized militia groups,” Murphy said. “These individuals began organizing to travel to the Capitol successful ample numbers with the circumstantial intent to usage unit to disrupt the certification of the predetermination during the associated session.”

- Bart Jansen

Kinzinger: 'Trump sought to corrupt' DOJ

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., opened his remarks arguing that Trump attempted to interfere with the Department of Justice to overturn the 2020 predetermination successful his favor.

“It’s of the utmost value that our Department of Justice operates arsenic a just and neutral body,” said Kinzinger. “It is this captious relation that President Trump sought to corrupt.”

Despite aggregate attempts to convey to Trump that determination was nary grounds of elector fraud, Kinzinger argued, Trump tried to instal Jeffrey Clark, an predetermination denier successful the DOJ who intended to nonstop a missive imploring authorities legislatures to “consider appointing Trump alternatively than Biden electors.”

- Ken Tran

Democrat House members among gathering spectators

Pennsylvania Democrats Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon and Madeleine Dean were among the spectators, seated successful the nationalist seating section, taking notes arsenic their House workfellow presented their findings.

Dean was among the astir 3 twelve lawmakers trapped successful the House assemblage during the Jan. 6 onslaught on with Thompson and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D- Wash, arsenic the mob attempted to interruption down the gallery’s door.

On being successful the House assemblage connected Jan. 6 when lawmakers were told to get down and a twelvemonth aft the onslaught that "There’s a accidental I could dice present ... If anybody comes successful present and has a weapon, we volition beryllium similar ducks successful a shooting gallery.”

- Sarah Elbeshbishi

'Fellas, I request 11,000 votes'

Committee subordinate Rep. Adam Schiff, a erstwhile national authoritative from California, outlined Trump’s alleged threats and efforts to get authorities elections officials successful astatine slightest 2 states to change authoritative predetermination results.

Schiff described what helium said was a strategy by Trump and his interior ellipse to unit officials successful Georgia to find astatine slightest 11,000 votes – the borderline by which helium mislaid the battleground authorities – and to unit others to articulation an effort to enactment guardant fake competing slates of electors.

“President Trump repeatedly attacked authorities and section officials who refused to bash his bidding, arsenic good arsenic section elections officials who helium baselessly accused of fraud,” Schiff said. Those who refused, helium said, received nationalist harassment, decease threats and successful immoderate cases, similar that of erstwhile Georgia predetermination idiosyncratic Ruby Freeman, were forced to permission their homes oregon jobs for fearfulness of retaliation. Such treatment, Schiff said, “was callous, inhuman inexcusable and unsafe and those liable should beryllium held accountable.” 

– Josh Meyer

Committee accuses Trump and associates of witnesser tampering

Committee members alleged that erstwhile President Donald Trump’s associates offered employment to Jan. 6 witnesses successful an effort to power testimony.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., pointed to hundreds of millions of dollars that Trump raised aft the 2020 predetermination connected mendacious claims of predetermination fraud. She said immoderate of the proceeds went toward hiring lawyers. She besides highlighted “evidence of efforts” to usage funds to supply oregon connection employment to witnesses.

Lofgren singled retired 1 witness, who she did not identify, getting offered employment that would marque her “financially precise comfortable.”

“The witnesser believed this was an effort to impact her testimony. And we are acrophobic that these efforts whitethorn person been a strategy to forestall the committee from uncovering the truth.”

– Joey Garrison 

Jan. 6 committee expected to ballot connected transgression referrals astir Trump to Justice Dept.

The committee is expected to ballot Monday connected recommendations for the Justice Department to analyse erstwhile President Donald Trump for perchance violating national instrumentality successful trying to overturn the 2020 election.

The chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told reporters past week the committee would ballot connected transgression referrals. The imaginable crimes see inciting the insurrection, obstructing Congress and defrauding the United States.

Trump has insisted helium did thing incorrect successful challenging the predetermination results. The committee’s recommendations would beryllium nonbinding. But the committee’s study and grounds could service arsenic a roadmap for prosecutors to follow.

– Bart Jansen

Two Republicans connected the Jan. 6 Committee assistance adjacent out hearings

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming, is helping adjacent retired the past nationalist gathering of the Jan. 6 committee by outlining events of that time and the alleged attempts to subvert the results of the 2020 election. She’s joined by the different Republican connected the committee, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.

The committee comprises 7 Democrats and 2 Republicans, each appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had rejected respective GOP members primitively selected by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Cheney, the committee’s vice chair, was ousted by her enactment arsenic the No. 3 Republican successful the House aft her repeated disapproval of Trump for his relation successful inciting the Jan. 6 attack. She has said she is "honored" to service connected the committee. Kinzinger, a subject veteran, was archetypal elected successful 2010 and is besides leaving Congress astatine the extremity of this session.

– Josh Meyer

Committee plays video recaps outlining Trump’s timeline

The committee is making its last lawsuit through video recaps of grounds fixed during its past 10 nationalist hearings, providing a timeline of Trump’s engagement successful the Capitol onslaught from the 2020 predetermination nighttime to Jan. 6.

The assorted clips outline the committee’s statement that Trump knew helium mislaid the predetermination and actively worked to overturn the predetermination done unit campaigns connected authorities officials and Vice President Mike Pence.

“It’s important to retrieve what we learned and critically examined what happened astatine the United States Capitol connected Jan. 6,” said Thompson earlier the video.

– Ken Tran

Former instrumentality enforcement officers be last meeting

Former Capitol Police officers Harry Dunn and Aquilino Gonell and erstwhile Metropolitan Police officers Michael Fanone and Daniel Hodges are among the onlookers successful the packed proceeding room, sitting unneurotic successful the archetypal row. The 4 provided the committee gripping grounds connected the events that took spot connected Jan. 6 past summer

– Sarah Elbeshbishi

Liz Cheney: Trump should not beryllium allowed to service arsenic president again

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said erstwhile President Donald Trump should not beryllium allowed to service arsenic president again.

Cheney, vice seat of the committee, began her remarks saying “at the bosom of our republic is simply a warrant of a peaceful transportation of power.”

“Every president successful our past has defended this orderly transportation of authority, but one,” Cheney said, calling Trump’s efforts connected Jan. 6, 2021 the archetypal clip an American president refused his law work to transportation powerfulness peacefully.

“This was an utter motivation nonaccomplishment and a wide dereliction of duty,” she said. “No antheral who would behave that mode astatine that infinitesimal successful clip tin ever service successful immoderate presumption of authorization successful our federation again.”

– Joey Garrison

Bennie Thompson: Trump summoned ‘armed and aggravated mob’ to Capitol

Rep. Bennie Thompson, the committee chairman, said Monday erstwhile President Donald Trump broke religion with American ideology by refusing to admit helium mislaid the 2020 predetermination and past trying to overturn the results.

“In the end, helium summoned a mob to Washington and knowing they were equipped and angry, pointed them to the Capitol and told them to ‘fight similar hell,’” Thompson said. “There is nary uncertainty astir this.”

Thompson said the committee’s last study would beryllium released aboriginal this week and different grounds specified arsenic transcripts collected from much than 1,000 witnesses by the extremity of the year.

– Bart Jansen

How agelong is today's hearing?

The proceeding is expected to past nary much than an hr today, acold shorter than the committee's past hearings.

Jan. 6 committee last proceeding begins 

Committee members are filing into the proceeding country to adjacent the 18-month probe into Trump's relation successful the Jan. 6 onslaught connected the Capitol.  

The committee is expected to laic retired the large findings of their astir 18-mionth probe and vote on whether to criminally referral the erstwhile president to the Justice Department. 

- Rachel Looker 

How to ticker today's hearing

USA TODAY volition livestream the hearing connected its YouTube channel. C-SPAN volition broadcast, arsenic volition different outlets specified ABC, NBC and CBS.

What volition Monday's proceeding cover?

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told reporters that Monday's proceeding volition see votes connected criminal recommendations and the committee's final report.

More: ‘This is insane.’ Lawmakers relive Jan. 6 fearfulness alongside caller trauma of effort to rewrite history

In summation to transgression referrals, the sheet could make recommendations to authorities barroom associations astir lawyers, to the Federal Election Commission astir run violations and to the House Ethics Committee astir lawmakers, Thompson said.

When volition the Jan. 6 committee's final report beryllium published?

The panel's last study is acceptable to beryllium published Monday though cardinal materials specified arsenic transcripts of witnesser interviews conducted down closed doors could beryllium released aboriginal this week.

Pence doesn’t privation Trump to look charges implicit Jan. 6

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who was a people of the Jan. 6 mob, said Monday helium hopes the Justice Department volition not bring charges against his erstwhile boss.

“I deliberation the president’s actions and words connected Jan. 6 were reckless, but I don't cognize that it’s transgression to instrumentality atrocious proposal from lawyers,” Pence told Fox News.

Pence dismissed the bipartisan Jan. 6 committee arsenic partisan due to the fact that its members were appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. He emphasized that the Justice Department is not required to travel the committee’s recommendations connected charges.

“I anticipation the Justice Department understands the magnitude, the precise thought of indicting a erstwhile president of the United States,” Pence said. “I deliberation that would beryllium terribly divisive successful the state astatine a clip erstwhile the American radical privation to spot america heal.”

- Maureen Groppe

What happened astatine the past Jan. 6 committee hearing?

Testimony and video grounds revealed during the Jan. 6 committee proceeding successful October showed legislature leaders pleading for assistance portion the Capitol onslaught was ongoing. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., reacted to the unit astatine the Capitol successful antecedently unreleased – and dramatic – footage, saying the onslaught was "all astatine the instigation of the president of the United States," and an adjutant testified that, during the attack, Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy told Trump the rioters were "your people."

Jan. 6 committee subpoenaed Trump 

The October hearing closed with the bonzer determination of unanimously voting to subpoena the erstwhile president.

"(Trump) must beryllium accountable," Thompson, the committee chair, said. "He is required to reply for his actions."

A time aft the committee voted to subpoena Trump, the erstwhile president sent a 14-page memo to the panel complaining about a “Show Trial” and “Witch Hunt,” without addressing the subpoena itself.

How galore radical died connected Jan. 6?

A bipartisan Senate report recovered that seven people died successful transportation with the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack. After the study was published, 2 Metropolitan Police officers, Gunther Hashida and Kyle DeFreytag, besides died by suicide.

Hundreds of instrumentality enforcement officers were injured successful the riot.

How galore Capitol rioters person been arrested or convicted?

Federal prosecutors person charged much than 920 people successful 48 states with participating successful the Jan. 6, 2021, riot astatine the U.S. Capitol, and arrests person continue.

Some 41 rioters person been convicted successful trials, and about 470 rioters person pleaded blameworthy to assorted crimes, according to the Justice Department.

Jan. 6 committee preps final report based connected 9 hearings

Committee members, who are drafting their last report, said they documented however Trump repeatedly tried to overturn the 2020 election, pressured authorities officials, assembled a mob and sent it to the Capitol to disrupt the peaceful transportation of power.

Amid 9 blockbuster hearings this year, committee members besides said Trump oregon his allies contacted witnesses successful a imaginable effort to intimidate them against testifying.

"I deliberation astir Americans cognize that attempting to power witnesses to attest untruthfully presents precise superior concerns," the vice chairwoman, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said astatine the June 28 hearing.

– Bart Jansen

What did Trump bash connected Jan. 6? Inside his '187 minutes'

In chronicling what happened Jan. 6, 2021, the committee focused connected astir 3 hours betwixt the extremity of then-President Donald Trump’s rally adjacent the White House astatine 1:10 p.m. and the merchandise of his video urging supporters to permission the Capitol and spell location astatine 4:17 p.m.

The vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., accused Trump of dereliction of work for not acting faster to halt his supporters battling constabulary successful what participants called medieval combat earlier rampaging done the Capitol to temporarily forestall the counting of Electoral College votes.

The committee gathered a chilling timeline for erstwhile the Capitol was breached, erstwhile lawmakers and staffers hid from rioters and evacuated the building, and erstwhile lawmakers and Trump’s ain children pleaded with him done texts and calls to bash something.

– Bart Jansen

What Trump did during those 187 minutes helium was retired of sight?: A breakdown of the 187 minutes Trump was retired of presumption connected Jan. 6 arsenic aides urged him to act

Deceased Jan. 6 constabulary officers’ household members refused to shingle hands with GOP leaders McConnell, McCarthy 

The household of a deceased Capitol constabulary serviceman refused to shingle hands with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., during a ceremonial earlier this period honoring U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan Police.   

Family members of Brian Sicknick, a U.S. Capitol Police serviceman who died aft suffering strokes the time aft the Jan. 6 insurrection, attended the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony and declined to shingle hands with GOP leaders. 

Sicknick's 2 brothers and parents shook the manus of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., but bypassed McConnell and McCarthy. 

- Rachel Looker

More: US Capitol Officer Brian Sicknick died of strokes the time aft riot, aesculapian examiner rules

Extremist groups’ ties to Jan. 6 

Across the thoroughfare from the U.S. Capitol, wherever the House Jan. 6 committee investigating the president’s relation successful the Jan. 6, 2021 riot convened, members of extremist groups faced proceedings successful national court for transgression charges related to the attack.

Five affiliates of the right-wing militia radical Oath Keepers, including person Stewart Rhodes, stood proceedings accused of seditious conspiracy, oregon conspiring to forcibly reason the authorization of the national government. Rhodes and a apical deputy, Kelly Meggs, were some convicted of the seldom charged crime. 

The House committee investigating the onslaught alleged that a Dec. 22, 2020 tweet sent by erstwhile President Donald Trump telling his supporters to travel to D.C. connected Jan. 6 for a protestation – “Be there, volition beryllium wild” – amounted to a telephone to arms to the Oath Keepers and another extremist group, the Proud Boys. The authorities showed evidence in the 5 Oath Keepers' trial that the groups coordinated up of the attack.

Five different Oath Keepers and members of the Proud Boys, including person Enrique Tarrio, look sedition charges that volition beryllium tried opening this month. 

- Ella Lee

Oath Keepers trial: Oath Keepers person Stewart Rhodes recovered blameworthy of seditious conspiracy successful Jan. 6 attack

More Trump ineligible battles ahead

The actions by the January 6 committee adhd to the galore different ineligible battles erstwhile President Donald Trump already faces – including 3 civilian suit trials during the adjacent 14 months. Trump and his household person denied wrongdoing.

April 2023 marks the scheduled proceedings day successful the defamation lawsuit filed against Trump by erstwhile mag proposal columnist E. Jean Carroll. The New York City national tribunal lawsuit is simply a defamation suit she filed against Trump for ridiculing her allegations that helium raped her successful a Manhattan section store dressing country decades ago. Carroll besides seeks to person the proceedings held successful tandem with the artillery lawsuit she filed against Trump past month.

Next up is the scheduled October 2023 civilian proceedings successful a monolithic civilian suit against Trump, his namesake business, and his oldest children. Filed by the New York State Attorney General’s office, the suit alleges Trump falsely inflated the worth of his assets to triumph little involvement rates connected loans and security coverage.

And January 2024 is the scheduled proceedings day for a lawsuit that seeks class-action presumption connected behalf of radical who accidental they were conned into investing successful a multi-level selling company. Trump and his oldest children touted the institution without disclosing endorsement payments, the plaintiffs argue. The radical said the institution accepted their investments but failed to nutrient the benefits touted by the Trumps.

- Kevin McCoy

Jan. 6 Committee decisions complicate WH campaign

Monday’s actions by the peculiar legislative sheet travel amid challenges President Donald Trump faces during his precocious announced 3rd run for the White House.

Trump has faced disapproval for the mid-term predetermination losses by galore of the candidates helium touted for a alleged reddish question that would propel Republican Party power of some legislature houses. The question proved to beryllium litte much than a gentle swell, delivering lone constrictive GOP power of the House, starting successful January.

Some governmental surveys, including an exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll, recovered that GOP elector enactment for Trump’s latest run has plunged. Republicans and those inclined to ballot Republican similar Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis implicit Trump for the 2024 statesmanlike nomination, the canvass found.

- Kevin McCoy

Dig deeper:

Read Entire Article