New DOJ: Failure to grant dept access to Jan 6 cmte. witness transcripts complicates investigations [View all]

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“The Select Committee’s failure to grant the Department access to these transcripts complicates the Department’s ability to investigate and prosecute those who engaged in criminal conduct in relation to the January 6 attack on the Capitol,” DOJ wrote in a letter Wednesday, signed by Assistant Attorneys General Kenneth Polite, Jr. and Matthew Olsen, as well as U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves.

The DOJ officials said it was “critical” that the panel provide prosecutors “copies of the transcripts of all its witness interviews.”

Prosecutors agreed Thursday to delay a scheduled August trial of the leadership of the Proud Boys, a pro-Trump militia group, citing the “prejudice” caused by the select committee’s public hearings, which are ongoing for much of this month. The leaders are facing seditious conspiracy charges for their activities on Jan. 6. The proposed trial delay to December — backed by some defendants — would require the approval of the federal judge handling the case.

In addition to the transcript dispute, prosecutors are facing increasing complaints from defense attorneys that the Jan. 6 panel releasing selected details of their investigation — including in currently ongoing public hearings — is unfair to their clients. They are demanding access to all the records and have expressed concerns that they might all be abruptly made public right in the middle of a Proud Boys trial.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/16/tensions-escalate-as-doj-renews-request-for-jan-6-panel-transcripts-00040267

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DOJ letter: https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000181-6db4-d7aa-abab-6db4b86d0000