NYT: Riot Panel Split On Criminal Referral For Trump

The New York Times reports:

The leaders of the House committee investigating the Capitol attack have grown divided over whether to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department of former President Donald J. Trump, even though they have concluded that they have enough evidence to do so, people involved in the discussions said.

The debate centers on whether making a referral — a largely symbolic act — would backfire by politically tainting the Justice Department’s expanding investigation into the Jan. 6 assault and what led up to it.

The members and aides who were reluctant to support a referral contended that making one would create the appearance that Mr. Garland was investigating Mr. Trump at the behest of a Democratic Congress and that if the committee could avoid that perception it should, the people said.

Read the full article.

NEW: Jan 6 committee leaders have passed important threshold, concluding they have enough evidence to send criminal referral to Garland/DOJ on Trump for at least 2 federal crimes. BUT … panel is now divided about whether sending referral is smart move. https://t.co/SuQOeEc1hV

— Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) April 10, 2022