January 6 committee says it will make criminal referrals to Justice Department

The House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol will make criminal referrals to the Department of Justice.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Committee Chairman, told reporters on Tuesday that at least one person will be referred, while leaving open the possibility of others to come.

“We’ve made decisions on criminal dismissals,” Thompson said.

The congressman did not specify who, exactly, might face charges or which ones they might face. Thompson did not explicitly rule out the possibility of perjury charges, telling reporters, “That’s part of the discussion.”

Other potential charges could include conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of official congressional process.

Additional criminal referrals are expected to be part of the discussion when the committee meets later on Tuesday.

The bipartisan panel expires at the end of the year, adding urgency to the panel’s process. It is highly unlikely that the new Republican-majority House will extend the committee’s charter.

In addition to any forthcoming criminal referrals, the committee is set to release a separate final report on the insurgency which will also be provided to the Department of Justice. Thompson said last month there was a “good possibility” of releasing the eight-part report by Christmas.