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The House January 6 committee in charge of investigating attack on the Capitol on Monday voted to refer criminal charges to the Justice Department (DOJ) for former President Donald Trump and lawyer John Eastman for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
During a hearing, the nine lawmakers on the panel voted unanimously to seek criminal charges for Trump.
The lawmakers also found former governor responsible for conspiracy to defraud the United States, to make false statement, and obstruction of an official proceeding.
According to The Hill, the referrals mark the culmination of the committee’s 18-month investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection and Trump’s role before, during and after the riots.
However, recommendations themselves are largely symbolic, as DOJ is not required to investigate congressional committee referrals.
The House panel held its final public meeting on Monday and planned to release its Capitol riot report coming Wednesday. To do so, members of the lower chamber heard from more than 1,000 witnesses, reviewed millions of pages of documents and held nine hearings as part of their inquiry.
The select committee spent more than a year arguing that Trump was directly at the center of efforts to overturn the election and was ultimately responsible for the riot.
The referrals mark a significant escalation in the political fight between the panel and Trump, especially as the former president is intending to be re-elected, The Hill noted.
The DOJ will now have to decide whether it wants to bring criminal charges for Trump, which is unprecedented in the United States.
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