According to a report from Mary Claire Jalonick for the Associated Press, members of the House select committee investigating the Jan 6th insurrection -- and Donald Trump's part in it -- have been dropping hints about the possible criminal charges they could lodge against the former president when they wrap up their work.
With the investigation intensifying as more witnesses sit down with investigators, the AP report states observers are beginning to get a feel for the direction the inquiry is going.
With Jalonick admitting that it is uncertain whether Trump will be indicted, she wrote the committee has "been laying out possible crimes in at least one court filing and openly discussing others."
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According to the report, at the top of the list is "Criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States" with Jalonick adding, "The committee argued that it has evidence supporting the idea that Trump, Eastman and other allies of the former president 'entered into an agreement to defraud the United States.' The panel says Trump and his allies interfered with the election certification process, disseminated misinformation about election fraud and pressured state and federal officials to assist in that effort."
Next on the list is "Obstruction of an official proceeding" which maintains Trump "either attempted or succeeded at obstructing, influencing, or impeding the ceremonial process on Jan. 6 and 'did so corruptly' by pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the results as he presided over the session. Pence declined to do so."
On a possible charge for "Common law fraud" Jalonick explained, "Trump embarked on a wide-scale campaign to convince the public and federal judges that the 2020 election was fraudulent and that he, not Biden, won the Electoral College tally. Election officials and courts across the country, along with Trump’s attorney general, rejected those claims."
Next up is "Dereliction of duty" based on Trump's reluctance to lift a finger to help as insurrectionists stormed the Capitol building as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle fled for their lives.
The report quotes committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) ., saying in January that “the harm that I see is the president of the United States seeing the Capitol of the United States under siege by people he sent to the Capitol and did nothing during that time."
Last on the list is "Financial crimes" -- also being investigated by New York Attorney General Letitia James -- with the AP report stating, "While the committee hasn’t floated specifics, it has created an internal task force to investigate financing for the massive rally on the National Mall the morning of Jan. 6 and any donors who might have backed transportation or other costs that could have helped foster the violence. Asked earlier this year on CNN if they have any evidence of financial fraud, Thompson said members of the committee 'have some concerns, but we have not made those concerns public at this point.'"
You can read more details here.
