You've got to be fucking kidding me. [View all]

[LudwigPastorius]

The J6 Committee is undecided whether to make criminal referrals to the Justice Department.

The Democratic chairman says making a formal referral to the DOJ is, "not our job".

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/13/politics/thompson-january-6-trump-criminal-referral-justice-department/index.html

(CNN)The chairman of the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol told reporters Monday that the panel will not make any criminal referral of former President Donald Trump or anyone else to the Justice Department -- a claim that met swift pushback from members of the panel.

"No, you know, we're going to tell the facts. If the Department of Justice looks at it, and assume that there's something that needs further review, I'm sure they'll do it," Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson said when asked whether the committee would refer Trump or others to the department.

Pressed again on whether the committee would ever make a formal referral to the Justice Department, the Mississippi Democrat said, "No, that's not our job. Our job is to look at the facts and circumstances around January 6, what caused it and make recommendations after that."

-snip-

Rep. Liz Cheney, who serves as vice chair of the committee, released a statement contradicting the chairman's comments. "The January 6th Select Committee has not issued a conclusion regarding potential criminal referrals. We will announce a decision on that at an appropriate time," the Wyoming Republican tweeted.

I'd hate to be right, in my most cynical moments, thinking that these hearings are more about the mid-term elections than defending the Constitution and bringing the perpetrators of a coup attempt to justice. But, it sure looks like the committee is positioning to make no definitive statement on the prosecution of the ringleaders.