'Sufficient evidence' to criminally charge Trump over Capitol breach
3 Min Read
A congressman from California thinks there is "sufficient evidence" to criminally charge Donald Trump.
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Former President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House during an event with US mayors on Jan. 24, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The House committee looking into the January 6 US Capitol hack was scheduled to vote on whether to press criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for acts like insurrection, conspiring to defraud the US government, and obstructing an official proceeding, according to US media reports on Friday.
There is "sufficient evidence to charge the [former] president with criminal offences in connection with his efforts to overturn the election,” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a member of the House January 6 panel, reported to American media on Sunday.
While the House committee prepares to present a final report on December 21, Schiff said that while he did not “want to telegraph too much,” he personally believed that the "evidence was plain". “This is someone who tried to interfere with a joint session, even inciting a mob to attack the Capitol. If that’s not criminal, then I don’t know what is," the California congressman said.
Read next: Georgia orders former House Speaker Gingrich to testify for Jan. 6
After interviewing more than 1,000 people and holding 10 public hearings, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 riot, is now expected to reveal its findings.
Members of the committee are expected to vote in favor or against charging former President Donald Trump, US media reported, adding that the reported offenses recommended to the US Justice Department could include insurrection, conspiracy to deceive the government, and obstruction of a formal proceeding.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), a panel member, stated on Friday that the committee had “been very careful in crafting these recommendations and tethering them to the facts that we’ve uncovered.”
And the list goes on… #Trump pic.twitter.com/1NdUthK3Dd
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) August 11, 2022
The committee's final report will include a decision on whom to refer to the Justice Department for prosecution, according to Adam Schiff, as well as what punishment to administer to those Republican members of Congress who defied the committee’s subpoenas.
The committee subpoenaed former President Donald Trump in October, effectively ordering that he testify about his involvement in the riot violence.
On January 6, 2021, Trump gave a speech to supporters, manufacturing anger as he told them to "fight like hell." He was then impeached for inciting violence, impeding a peaceful transfer of presidency to incumbent President Joe Biden.
The White House refused to comment on the subpoena, other than stating that it is "important to get to the bottom of January 6."
