Kinzinger won’t say if Trump included in Jan. 6 criminal referrals

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) on Sunday would not reveal whether former President Trump will be included in the list of criminal referrals to the Department of Justice (DOJ) put forward by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.

During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” host Martha Raddatz asked if Trump would be included in the list of criminal referrals.

Kinzinger, one of only two Republicans on the House select committee, replied that he doesn’t “want to get too far ahead” and wants to save the final decision for the committee.

“I don’t think criminal referrals are pointless,” he said. “I think the point on that is that it’s very clear that DOJ has decided to take this effort up. I mean there’s no doubt. I don’t know anything that you don’t know on that.”

“The criminal referrals themselves aren’t necessarily something that is going to wake DOJ up to something they didn’t know before, but I do think it will be an important, symbolic thing that the committee can do. Even more than symbolic,” he added. “Just very clear that Congress thinks, you know, a crime has been committed here or the DOJ should investigate it.”

The DOJ would make the ultimate decision on whether to charge anyone. 

Kinzinger’s comments come after multiple news outlets reported that the committee is considering making criminal referrals to the DOJ for Trump and at least four other individuals. Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told reporters on Thursday that the committee will release its list of criminal referrals and its final report on the attack on Dec. 21.