Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Politics and Government News
Barbara Sprunt, NPR and Claudia Grisales, NPR

The Jan. 6 committee will take up criminal referrals against Donald Trump

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, is seen talking to reporters on Nov. 17. The committee will meet Monday and vote on criminal referrals, including at least two charges for former President Donald Trump.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, is seen talking to reporters on Nov. 17. The committee will meet Monday and vote on criminal referrals, including at least two charges for former President Donald Trump.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The House Select Jan. 6 Committee will take up criminal referrals against former President Donald Trump on at least two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress and conspiracy to defraud the United States, according to a source familiar with the committee's discussions but not authorized to speak publicly on the plans.

The referrals will be voted on Monday, during what's very likely to be the last public meeting of the panel before it sunsets at the end of the month.

The referrals will come in the form of a letter from the committee to the Justice Department making its case for prosecution. Referrals do not carry any legal weight or compel the Justice Department to act.

The referrals are part of a larger list of recommendations from the committee's subpanel of lawyers, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. Other members include Democratic Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Adam Schiff of California and Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming. The subpanel was created in October to address criminal referrals and other recommendations.

Monday's meeting punctuates a nearly two-year investigation into what led to the violent attack at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 as a mob of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Joe Biden won.

The committee's final report, which Chairman Bennie Thompson previously told NPR could be roughly 1,000 pages long, could be released as soon as Monday. It's expected the report's appendices and transcripts of over 1,000 witness interviews will be released on Wednesday.

In addition to criminal referrals, the panel may issue other categories of referrals — to the Federal Election Commission, the House Ethics Committee, and bar associations to discipline attorneys.

The Justice Department is separately conducting its own extensive probe into the events of Jan. 6 with a special counsel.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.