Jan. 6 panel plans to release criminal referrals alongside final report

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol will release its list of criminal referrals alongside its final report on Dec. 21, the panel’s chair told reporters Thursday.

“We will make that announcement on the 21st when we release the report,” said Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).

The panel is meeting this Sunday to hash out what referrals it may make to the Department of Justice (DOJ), where the ultimate decision rests over whether to pursue any charges for the activity related to the effort to block the transfer of power.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told reporters that the panel is still weighing who should be included in the list of criminal referrals.

“We want to make sure no one slips through the cracks. We want to make sure that the key organizers and movers of this attack don’t escape the scrutiny of the justice system,” Raskin said.

“The committee is engaged in very painstaking due diligence about all of the statutory events … and reviewing the record and the video and the testimony. Even though what we’re doing is just making a referral of our views, we want to take it very seriously.”

Thompson said that although it’s up to the DOJ to make the call on who to prosecute, he believes the department may be interested in their work.

The DOJ had previously requested the committee turn over some of its deposition transcripts, but the panel ultimately decided not to do so.

“As you know, DOJ has been actively pursuing our work product,” Thompson said. “So we think now is a good time to share it with them.”