The House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol held its last public meeting on Monday, laying out its findings, approving its final report and outlining criminal referrals for former President Donald Trump and other officials.
"Evidence has led to an overriding and straight-forward conclusion: the central cause of January 6th was one man, former President Donald Trump, who many others followed," the committee wrote in a summary of its final report. "None of the events of January 6th would have happened without him."
The committee voted to refer Trump to the Justice Department on multiple criminal charges, including obstructing an official proceeding, defrauding the United States, making false statements and giving aid or comfort to an insurrection. While the referrals are largely symbolic in nature — as the panel lacks prosecutorial powers and the Department of Justice is already conducting its own investigation — committee members have stressed the move serves as a way to document their views for the record. Attorney General Merrick Garland will make the ultimate call on charging decisions.
The committee's final report will be released to the public on Wednesday, marking the end of an expansive investigation that has spanned more than 17 months, encompassed more than 1,000 interviews and culminated in accusations that Trump and his closest allies sought to overthrow the 2020 presidential election and stop the peaceful transfer of power.
The committee held a series of public hearings this year regarding the Capitol attack. Throughout the hearings, there was live testimony from more than a dozen witnesses and recorded depositions of more than 40 others. Much of the recorded testimony was from members of Trump's inner circle, including former Attorney General William Barr and Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump.
