The Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot recommended that the Department of Justice (DOJ) charge former President Donald Trump with four counts related to attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The committee unanimously voted to report that Trump should be charged with obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the government, conspiracy to make a false statement and inciting or assisting an insurrection. The committee’s move was first reported by NBC News. The recommendation does not carry force of law, and the DOJ is currently carrying out its own investigation.
“Building on his constant repetition of the ‘Big Lie,’ President Trump engaged in an unprecedented effort to obstruct the joint session on Jan. 6, the proceeding where his electoral loss would be certified by Congress,” Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff said. “This effort began in part in the states, which hold, count, and ultimately determine the winners of presidential elections. Many state officials were targeted by President Trump and his campaign.”
Committee members highlighted Trump’s attempts to pressure state and federal officials into investigating and claiming fraud, including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and DOJ officials Jeffrey Rosen, Richard Donoghue, and Bill Barr. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is currently investigating Trump and his allies’ contacts with Raffensperger, and she subpoenaed Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham as part of the inquiry.
