The Jan 6th committee started its hearings on June 9, 2022, in response to the riot, sometimes referred to as an insurrection, that occurred on January 6, 2021, at the US Capitol building. Rioters were able to break down the doors of the capitol building while the official election tally was being counted. An important distinction to make is that the January 6th committee is not the same as the ongoing FBI investigation. The FBI investigation’s purpose is to track down and charge the individual perpetrators of the attack, while the Jan 6th committee is focusing on Former President Donald Trump’s involvement. So far, the FBI has arrested 170 suspects and charged them with assaulting or impeding a police officer but have not charged anyone with seditious conspiracy. Additionally, they find scant evidence that the attack on the capital was in any way coordinated by anyone including the former president.
The role of the Jan 6 committee is to investigate former President Donald Trump’s actions leading up to and on January 6, 2021. The committee started by analyzing President Trump’s attacks on the voting process and false claims of election fraud. Evidence was presented that top aides to the president reportedly told him not to declare victory on election night as well as the fact that his information regarding “fraudulent votes” was incorrect.
Next, they examined Mr. Trump and his allies’ attempt to have election results thrown out by state authorities by touting false claims and theories. As testified to by Rusty Bowers, speaker of the Arizona state House, Rudi Gulini reportedly admitted to him that they “have lots of theories, [they] just don’t have the evidence” to throw out ballots in his state.
Then, they examined a last-ditch attempt to overturn the electoral college count before January 6th. The alleged plot included having then Vice-President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the count, to not accept the results and instead used inserted forged electoral ballots that favored President Trump. The vice-president did not adhere to this plan which was one of the reasons he too became a target of Trump’s attacks. In fact, on the day of the rally-turned-riot, “Hang Mike Pence” became a common chant.
Finally, came evidence and testimony regarding the events that took place on Jan. 6th. The day started with then President Trump hosting a rally near the White House. Trump was informed that some of the attendees were armed to which he reportedly didn’t care and wanted them to be let through anyway. During his speech, he touted the false election claims and told his supporters to go march to the capital, something that his aides had already secured a protest permit for. The president reportedly wanted to go with his supporters to the capital personally but his protection detail told him no. There was unreliable testimony made by Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to the then chief of staff, who claimed that she was told by a guard of the president that he “lunged for the wheel so he could go to the capital” however this testimony was disputed by Trump’s bodyguards and no evidence has corroborated this version of events.
After almost a month and a half of testimony, the Jan. 6 congressional panel is expected to have its last session on Thursday, July 21, 2022. It is expected that the last session will be dedicated to understanding a minute-by-minute analysis of the events that took place. The last hearing, just like all the others, will be available for live streaming on CSPAN. For a more detailed account of the events that transpired on January 6th click HERE
Although the committee claims bipartisanship due to its two Republican members, the committee is mostly a scheme by the Democrats to show the American public the details regarding that day and the false election claims that led to it. A majority of Republicans have boycotted the hearings with Rep. Liz Cheney saying that they will be “forever dishonored” for their actions. It is highly unlikely that the committee’s finding will in any way result in judicial action against the former president so the main reason for the committee is to convince the American public not to support him or vote for him if Donald Trump decides to run again in 2024.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
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