MSNBC
The House select committee has evidence showing that Donald Trump was plotting a "coup against democracy" -- and congressional investigators say the Justice Department should, too.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), a member of the committee, told CNN that House investigators had uncovered evidence that Trump's plot was even more wide-ranging than his public statements of support before and after the Jan. 6 insurrection, when a mob of his supporters marched away from his "Stop the Steal" rally and into the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers certified Joe Biden's election win.
“We have filled in a lot more evidence that he wasn’t just inciting an insurrection, he was working to organize a coup against the democracy," Raskin said. "I can’t imagine that the Department of Justice would not have evidence at this point to that effect.”
Legal expert Daniel Goldman, who served as House impeachment counsel alongside Raskin during Trump's first impeachment, agreed that federal investigators would not need a prompt from Congress to charge the former president with criminal violations related to the riot.
"This is exactly right from Rep. Raskin," Goldman tweeted. "There should be no need for a referral from the states or from Congress in order for [the Department of Justice] to investigate a clear effort to overturn the election results through fraudulent means (and, ultimately, by force on Jan. 6)."
Report typos and corrections to corrections@rawstory.com.
For customer support contact support@rawstory.com.
