Jan. 6 final report alleges Trump engaged in "multi-part conspiracy"
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Panel Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) lead a Jan. 6 committee hearing in July. Photo: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
The House Jan. 6 select committee on Thursday released its long-awaited final report, which includes detailed evidence compiled by the panel relating to the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Why it matters: The report provides the clearest look yet at what transpired before, during and after one of the most consequential events in American history.
Details: The panel estimates that between the November election and the Jan.6 insurrection, former President Donald Trump or his inner circle "engaged in at least 200 apparent acts of public or private outreach, pressure, or condemnation, targeting either State legislators or State or local election administrators, to overturn State election results," per the report.
- Actions by Trump were "taken in support of a multi-part conspiracy to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 Presidential election," the panel wrote.
Between the lines: Tucked near the end of the Jan. 6 committee's report is a list of 11 recommendations.
- These include criminal and civil accountability for those accused of misconduct in the Jan. 6 report and asking Congress to create a formal mechanism to bar individuals from future office, using the 14th Amendment.
What they're saying: "Our country has come too far to allow a defeated President to turn himself into a successful tyrant by upending our democratic institutions, fomenting violence, and, as I saw it, opening the door to those in our country whose hatred and bigotry threaten equality and justice for all Americans," said panel Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) in the report's foreword.
What he's saying: Trump said on his Truth Social platform after the report was published that it was a "WITCH HUNT!"
- He claimed the report failed to "study the reason for the protest" by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021.
The big picture: The report follows the months-long investigation into the Capitol riot and preserves the panel's findings before Republicans take control of the House next year and the Jan. 6 panel dissolves.
- The committee voted Monday to refer Trump to the Department of Justice on at least four criminal charges, including insurrection and obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress.
- It also released transcripts of 34 witness testimonies on Wednesday, including depositions with former Trump lawyer John Eastman and Trump's acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark.
The backdrop: The panel had said that it planned to make the final report public before the end of the year, but the scope of the report — and how much it would focus on Trump — remained uncertain.
- The panel was also deliberating how to address a number of witnesses who refused to comply with subpoenas, including Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, and several Republican members of Congress.
Worth noting: House Republicans are privately plotting to release their own 100+ page rebuttal in a bid to cast the select committee's report as partisan.
Read the full report, via DocumentCloud:
Go deeper: Dems spooked by Cheney's focus on Trump for Jan. 6 report
Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
