US: Capitol committee to meet, vote on Trump criminal referrals today
Dec 19, 2022
Washington [US], December 19 : US House committee, investigating the Capital riot case, will present the recommendations today and the final report will provide justification from the panel's investigation for recommending the charges, CNN reported.
The Mississippi Democrat said that the panel will approve its final report on Monday and make announcements about criminal referrals to the Justice Department, but the public will not see the final report until two days later, i.e Wednesday.
According to CNN citing sources, the committee is expected to announce at least three criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, including insurrection, obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the federal government.
The impact House referrals could have remains unclear because the Department of Justice special counsel investigation is already examining Trump in its extensive probe into January 6. Moreover, committee Chairman Bennie Thompson told reporters that the panel could issue five to six other categories of referrals, such as ethics referrals to the House Ethics Committee, bar discipline referrals and campaign finance referrals.
Over a year ago, a group of Trump supporters entered the US Capitol to protest the certification of the 2020 presidential election results from several US states that Trump claimed were fraudulent. US authorities have arrested more than 725 individuals in nearly all 50 states for criminal offences relating to the riot, reported CNN.
Earlier, in October, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison on Friday (local time) for contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena from the January 6 committee -2021 attack on the Capitol and was also fined USD 6,500.
United States District Judge Carl Nichols imposed the sentence on Friday and also ordered Bannon to pay a fine of USD 6,500, reported Al Jazeera.
Bannon was found guilty in July of two counts of contempt of Congress. Friday's sentencing is a milestone moment in the DOJ's Jan. 6 response, as prosecutors say by "flouting" the subpoena, Bannon "exacerbated" the assault on the rule of law that the US Capitol attack amounted to, reported CNN.
According to the January 6 committee, Bannon spoke with Trump at least twice on the day before the Capitol riot last year, attended a planning meeting at a Washington hotel, and said on his right-wing podcast that "all hell is going to break loose tomorrow".
Meanwhile, Bannon plans to appeal sentencing for contempt of Congress conviction over his refusal to comply with January 6 panel.
Bannon was a key adviser to the Republican Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, then served as his chief White House strategist in 2017 before a falling out between them that was later patched up, reported Al Jazeera.
Bannon helped articulate the "America First" populism and stout opposition to immigration that helped define Trump's presidency. He also has played an instrumental role in right-wing media and has promoted right-wing causes and candidates in the US and abroad.
