US Capitol Riot panel recommends criminal charges against Trump; know what laws he broke
The former United States President Donald Trump accused House lawmakers of recommending 'fake charges' against him to prevent him from running for the White House again.
FollowA United States Panel, formed amid a probe in the Capitol Hill riots investigation, recommended on Monday that former US President Donald Trump face criminal charges. The committee agreed that during their 17-month probe, they found 'enough evidence' to urge that Trump and others face four federal criminal charges in the case, as per AP.
Trump, however, has accused the panel of recommending 'fake charges' against him as a 'part of an attempt to prevent him from contesting for the White House again.' On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, 'The highly partisan Unselect Committee's fake charges of January 6 have already been submitted, prosecuted, and tried in the form of Impeachment Hoax #2.'
The following is the list of accusations the House panel suggested being filed against former US President Donal Trump.
1) Obstruction of an Official Proceeding
According to the panel, Donald Trump was a part of an effort to block the official proceedings, the joint session of Congress on January 6, where the electoral votes were to be counted, and Democrat Joe Biden was to be declared the legitimate winner of the US presidential elections last year. The panel said that it has 'substantial evidence' that 'Trump was attempting to prevent or delay the counting of lawful certified Electoral College votes' and was 'personally involved through his pressure on Vice President Mike Pence to derail the meeting,' Bloomberg reported.
2) Conspiring to defraud the US
According to the House panel, Trump tried to 'obstruct election certification despite being told by aides that there was no fraud that could have affected the result, beseeching Pence angrily to delay certification despite being told there was no legal basis for him to do so,' and 'work with others, both inside and outside of government, on a multi-part plan to remain in power,' according to Bloomberg. Working with someone else to commit fraud against the US is a crime in America.
Additionally, the panel said that other Trump associates are involved in the same conspiracy, including former senior Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, who has pledged to advance Trump's efforts to overturn the presidential election results if appointed as acting attorney general.
3) Conspiracy to make a false statement
When a materially false statement is knowingly made to the federal government, or when the lies are covered up, the 'Conspiracy to Make a False Statement' status is violated. According to Bloomberg, the US Capitol attack investigation committee said that Donald Trump violated this law by using others to submit 'slates of fake electors' to Congress and the National Archives.
'The certifications signed by Trump electors in multiple states were patently false' because Biden won those states. Nothing could be more important to the Joint Session of Congress in certifying the election than which candidate won which states," added the panel.
4) Inciting or aiding an insurrection
When someone 'incites, sets forth, aids, or engages in any revolt or insurrection against the power of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort to it,' they violate this law. According to the committee, the evidence shows that the former US president 'summoned the mob, provoked them after the threat of violence was clear, and inflamed their anger.'
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