January 6th - 2 years later

By Julia Piórko Bermig

2 years ago, in an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, a mob of mostly Trump supporters and far-right groups, such as the Proud Boys, broke into the US Capitol on January 6- a date now synonymous with the insurrection. While Congress was in the process of certifying the electoral college results, the rioters, who had congregated in Washington, D.C. for a protest organized by the President, attacked the Capitol building, delaying the certification and forcing Congress members and Vice President Mike Pence to flee. The violence claimed the lives of five people, one of whom was a Capitol police officer.

The events of January 6th have drawn harsh criticism from politicians, leaders, and activists who view them as an attack on American democracy and an unprecedented incursion into the Capitol building. Following the insurrection, numerous requests for accountability and an investigation into what happened that day have been made.

On May 19, 2021, The House voted 252-175 to approve legislation creating the January 6 Commission, which would be tasked with investigating the attack and making recommendations for preventing future incidents of this kind. The legislation calls for the commission to be made up of ten members, with five appointed by Democrats and five by Republicans. The commission would have the power to issue subpoenas and take testimony under oath and would be required to provide a final report within 18 months of its creation.

On December 22 2022, the January 6th commission released their final report regarding their investigation of the insurrection, detailing their findings after months of witness testimony, deposition and never before seen footage. The committee found that Trump and others may have committed crimes. These individuals are being referred to the DOJ.

The committee makes its case for criminal referrals using 17 investigation findings, including the revelation that Trump knew the fraud claims he was making were false, yet kept on making them relentlessly. On election night, President Trump chose to proclaim victory and demand that voting be halted illegally. According to the report, this decision was deliberate and premeditated. Requests for pardons show that Trump's advisers were aware of their possible legal peril.

On January 6, threats of violence were known to intelligence and law enforcement organisations, but the information was never shared publicly.

Trump's aides wanted him to issue a plea for peaceful demonstrations.

Shortly after, the House Ways and Means Committee release of six ear of Trump’s Tax returns:

The committee has faced several barriers which could be removed by the Justice Department’s power to invoke a grand jury subpoena. Whether the committee and report is merely a symbolic condemnation of the insurrection or whether it will lead to genuine legal convictions remains to be seen. But one thing is certain- the facts presented in the hearings and testimonies have had a profound impact on the American people. The report, just like the Watergate reports and hearings, does not resolve the very threats to democracy it condemns

Works cited:

Grisales, C. (2022, December 23). Read the Jan. 6 committee’s report and recommendations for preventing another riot. NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/2022/12/23/1145160544/jan-6-report-committee-donald-trump

Select January 6th Committee Final Report and Supporting Materials Collection. (n.d.). GovInfo. https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/january-6th-committee-final-report

Sneed, T., Murray, S., Cohen, Z., Grayer, A., & Cohen, M. (2022, December 20). What’s in the House January 6 committee report summary. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/19/politics/what-is-in-jan-6-committee-report-summary/index.html