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The United States House of Representatives committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol has asked federal prosecutors to charge Donald Trump with obstruction and insurrection for his role in sparking the deadly riot.
The Democratic-led select committee’s request to the Justice Department is non-binding but comes as a special counsel is overseeing two other federal probes of the Republican former president related to his attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat and the removal of classified files from the White House.
The panel asked the Justice Department to charge Trump with obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, conspiracy to defraud the United States, making false statements, and aiding or inciting and insurrection.
“An insurrection is a rebellion against the authority of the United States. It is a grave federal offense, anchored in the Constitution itself,” said Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat on the select committee member, as he announced the charges.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on the committee’s move. A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Monday’s meeting was the last final public gathering of a nine-member panel that spent 18 months probing the unprecedented attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power by thousands of Trump backers, inspired by his false claims that his 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud.
