https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jan-6-committtee-criminal-referrals_n_639b8052e4b0e2fa1a42ca0f
Jan. 6 Committee Refers Four Criminal Charges Against Trump To DOJ
The House Jan. 6 committee unanimously voted Monday to refer four criminal charges against former President Donald Trump to the Department of Justice, likely adding to public pressure to prosecute Trump for his attempted coup.
“We’ve never had a president stir up a violent attempt to stop the transfer of power,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, the committee chair and a Mississippi Democrat. “This can never happen again.”
Added Rep. Liz Cheney, the vice chair and a Wyoming Republican: “Every president in our history has accepted this peaceful transfer of authority, except one.”
Rep. Jaime Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, laid out the various charges that the committee would send along for prosecution: obstructing an official proceeding, conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to make false statements, and inciting an insurrection against the United States.
“Ours is not a system of justice where foot soldiers go to jail and the masterminds and ringleaders get a free pass,” Raskin said.
Trump responded on his Twitter-like social media platform Monday evening, claiming that the criminal referrals actually help him. “It strengthens me,” he wrote. “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”
The committee earlier in the day again showed proof that Trump knew that his claims that the election had been stolen from him were false ― a key element for criminal prosecution ― with testimony from his own staff. A video from White House aide Hope Hicks described her efforts to persuade him to concede his loss to preserve his legacy. His reply, according to Hicks, was: “Nobody will care about my legacy if I lose, so that won’t matter. The only thing that matters is winning.”
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