Riot panel to vote on Trump charges
Lawmakers investigating last year’s attack on the US Capitol will vote tomorrow on whether to recommend criminal charges against former president Donald Trump on at least three counts — including insurrection, Politico reported on Friday.
The political news site said a congressional subcommittee that has been evaluating potential criminal referrals stemming from the Jan 6, 2021 Capitol riot would recommend at least three charges for Mr Trump.
Politico, citing two people familiar with the contents of a committee report, said the charges are insurrection, obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the US government.
The full House committee investigating the Capitol riot is to hold its last meeting at 1pm (Thai time) tomorrow and release its final report two days later.
During the Monday meeting, the members of the committee will vote on whether to refer any individuals for potential criminal charges.
The committee itself cannot file charges but can make recommendations to the Justice Department, which has appointed a special counsel to look into Mr Trump’s role in the Capitol riot and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden.
Mr Trump, who has announced plans to run for president again in 2024, was subpoenaed by the House committee but declined to testify.
Hundreds of people have been arrested for involvement in the assault on the Capitol, and two members of a far-right militia, the Oath Keepers, were convicted of sedition in the most high-profile case yet stemming from the attack.
Mr Trump was impeached by the Democratic-majority House of Representatives for “incitement of insurrection” after the attack on the Capitol but was acquitted by the Senate.
Meanwhile, a defendant charged in connection with the riots has been indicted on charges of conspiring with a second man to kill the FBI agents investigating him, the Department of Justice said on Friday.
Edward Kelley, the 33-year-old Jan 6 defendant, and Austin Carter, 26, are both charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, retaliating against a federal official, solicitation of a crime of violence and making threats across state lines.
“Today’s allegations that individuals sought to attack and hurt or kill FBI personnel are sickening. FBI employees honourably perform their duties protecting the American public and upholding the Constitution and they should be able to execute these duties without threats of violence,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said.
Both men were ordered detained during an initial court appearance on Friday in US District Court in Knoxville, Tennessee, although no comment from the defence was available immediately after.
Prosecutors say Mr Kelley and Mr Carter obtained a list of federal agents taking part in the investigation into Mr Kelley and discussed plans to kill them with a cooperating witness. The cooperating witness was not identified in the court papers.