Schiff: Enough evidence to criminally indict Trump in efforts to subvert election | January 6 hearing

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California congressman Adam Schiff said Sunday that he believes there is enough evidence to criminally indict Donald Trump in connection with his efforts to subvert the 2020 election.

Schiff’s dramatic remarks on CNNs State of the Union came a day before the House January 6 select committee was set to release an outline of its extensive investigation report into the attack on the US Capitol, which was linked to nine deaths. , including the suicides of traumatized law enforcement officers.

The committee is expected to use its final meeting on Monday to refer Trump, as well as others, to the US justice department in connection with the former presidents’ attempt to overturn his 2020 loss to Joe Biden.

At this final meeting, the panel is expected to draft an executive summary of its findings, propose legislative recommendations, vote to accept the report and then vote on possible criminal and civil referrals. Schiff is one of nine members, seven of whom are Democrats like himself, serving on the committee as of Jan. 6.

The potential referrals involving Trump are expected to involve obstruction of an official congressional proceeding as well as conspiracy to defraud the United States. The Guardian first reported the nature of these referrals.

Schiff told CNN host Jake Tapper that he could not comment on the specifics of any possible referrals. Predicted criminal referrals are effectively symbolic because Congress cannot force prosecutors to pursue cases.

I think the evidence is there that Trump committed criminal offenses in connection with his efforts to subvert the election, said Schiff, who chairs the House intelligence committee. And looking at this as a former prosecutor, I think there is enough evidence to prosecute the [former] president

Tapper asked Schiff if that was enough to warrant a conviction.

Well, I don’t know what’s up with the justice department. I know what is in the public record. The evidence seems pretty clear to me, but I would want to see the whole body of evidence, if I were in the position of prosecutors, to make a decision, Schiff responded. But this is a man who, in many ways, tried to force state officials to seek votes that were not there. This is someone who tries to interfere in a joint session, even inciting a mob to attack the Capitol.

If that’s not criminal, I don’t know what is.

Asked if he thought Trump would face criminal charges, Schiff said: The short answer is, I don’t know. I think he should. I think he should face the same remedy, force of law that anyone would.

Schiff said he is concerned, however, that it may take until he is no longer associated with politics for justice to be served. It shouldn’t be like that in this country, but there seems to be an added burden of proof on someone with a large enough following.

That shouldn’t happen, but I find it difficult, otherwise, to explain why, nearly two years from the events of January 6, and with the evidence already in the public domain, why the justice department is not acting more quickly than what is already there, Schiff also said.

The Guardian previously reported that Trump allies who could face criminal referrals include former high-ranking White House staffers. The panel is also expected to make civil referrals to the House ethics committee involving Republican members of Congress and recommend disbarment for some of Trump’s lawyers.

The committee on January 6 further concluded that the insurrection was rooted in a conspiracy, sources told the Guardian. The panel found that Trump orchestrated a political plan for his Vice-President Mike Pence to refuse to certify the election results in a joint session on January 6 as well as a coup plot to force the hand of Congress if he refused.

The committee’s investigators think Trump’s alleged desire to illegally block the certification of the election he lost was apparent months before Jan. 6. They believe it extended from when he agreed to a Electoral rigging to have states trade votes for him with Bidens electoral college until he refused for hours to call the attackers to the Capitol, sources told the Guardian.

Trump left no documentary evidence of his alleged involvement, but his staff left a paper trail. During Trumps presidency, he used his power to stifle inquiries, the committee is expected to say. One of Trump’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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