The chairman of the predominantly Democratic select committee of the U.S. House of Representatives tasked with investigating the events of January 6 has told reporters that criminal referrals are likely to be made soon.
Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) on Tuesday revealed to reporters the committee’s intention to make these referrals to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
A criminal referral is essentially notice provided to a prosecutorial agency, such as the DOJ, by an entity that does not have the authority itself or powers to pursue the relevant charges. In making the referral, the entity typically turns over its investigatory findings and makes a case for criminal charges.
“As to how many, we’ve not decided on the number,” Thompson said. “We have not made a decision as to who, but we have made decisions that criminal referrals will happen.”
Reporters then pressed Thompson on whether he or the committee has maintained a list of individuals who may be named in these criminal referrals.
“Yes, but I can’t give them to you right now,” he responded.
Thompson said the committee convened the previous night to continue discussions regarding these potential referrals.
The referrals’ scope will include not only individuals who acted on January 6, 2021, but also individuals who may have perjured themselves when testifying before the select committee.
Along with criminal referrals to the DOJ, the committee will also submit a report summarizing its activities, findings, and conclusions. The report will likely be publicized before the end of the month.
“We’re actually going over printed material now, scrubbing stuff,” the chairman noted. Nevertheless, Thompson acknowledged that the report is “quite lengthy.”
Regardless of the final decisions and publications made by the select committee, it will dissolve at the end of the year. With Republicans retaking the U.S. House of Representatives, the select committee will be decommissioned.
While House Democrats utilized their power to form the select committee and shape the narrative on which aspects of that day’s events are suitable for public scrutiny — and which are not — Republicans now have the opportunity to change that.
For example, as reported previously by The Dallas Express, an investigative consultant for Trump’s legal team, Jason Sullivan, claimed to have sent the committee a deluge of data months ago containing all of his research findings.
Yet Sullivan asserts nothing was done with it. Now Republicans can review this data and reveal any relevant information hitherto unreleased.
Additionally, individuals like Ray Epps, whose actions on January 6 have been questioned by Republican lawmakers, may find themselves subjects of new congressional investigations.
In an interesting turn, the current House minority leader and likely next speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, sent a letter to Thompson on November 30 pledging that the new Republican-controlled House will probe the work of the January 6 select committee.
Criticizing the lack of transparency of the select committee’s work and anticipating potential omissions in whatever final report is produced, McCarthy wrote that Thompson must preserve all documents, records, and transcripts for “transparency to the American people.”
“The American people have a right to know that the allegations you have made are supported by the facts,” McCarthy demanded from the sitting select committee.
