A congressional panel investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6, 2021, released its final report late Thursday. It argued that Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, should be charged with inciting the deadly riot.
Also, the House of Representatives Select Committee made available transcripts of several of its witness testimony and interviews earlier on Thursday and Wednesday.
This report is more than 800 pages long and was based on almost 1,200 interviews and hundreds of thousands of documents over 18 months. It also includes rulings from more than 60 federal courts and state courts.
According to an executive summary, the report contains 17 findings and discusses the legal consequences of Trump’s actions. It also includes criminal referrals of Trump associates to the Justice Department of Trump. The report includes legislative recommendations that can be used to prevent another attack like this one.
The committee requested federal prosecutors to bring the Republican ex-president to trial for four charges, including obstruction of justice and insurrection. They said it was because he tried to reverse the results of November 2020’s election and to spark an attack on the seat.
In a 160-page summary, the House panel stated that Trump plotted to reverse the election result rather than fulfilling his constitutional obligation.
Trump called the report “highly biased” and “a witch hunt”, in comments posted to his Truth Social network following the publication of the final report. Trump claimed that it did not “study why the Jan. 6 protest was, election fraud.”
Although the Democratic-led Justice Department panel’s request did not force federal prosecutors into action, it marked the first time that Congress has referred an ex-president for criminal prosecution. Trump declared in November that Trump would be running for the presidency again.
One transcript released Wednesday and Thursday showed Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House lawyer, instructing her to “downplay her knowledge” of the events that led to the Capitol Riot. She said, “The less you remember the better.”
Hutchinson was advised by Stefan Passantino in preparation for her February deposition before a panel. She stated that she couldn’t recall some events. According to transcripts of her testimony, Hutchinson also testified in September.
Trump delivered a passionate speech to his supporters at the White House on Jan. 6. He publicly criticized Mike Pence for not supporting his plan to nullify the votes cast for Democrat Joe Biden.
As thousands of supporters ran through Capitol Hill, attacking police officers and threatening to hang Pence, the former president waited for hours before making a public statement.
Pence and the lawmakers were certifying the 2020 election results when, after several weeks of Trump’s false claims that he won that election, the Capitol was attacked.
