-
Mulls prosecution, sanctions for collaborators
The US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, is upbeat some members of Congress could face prosecution if found to have “aided and abetted” the violent attack on the Capitol that left five people dead earlier this month.
The Speaker dropped the hints after a Congresswoman said she saw colleagues leading ‘reconnaissance’ tours before the riot broke out.
She told reporters on Friday that; “Justice is called for as we address insurrection perpetrated against the Capitol last week.”
According to the Democratic Speaker; “If, in fact, it is found that members of Congress were accomplices to this insurrection, if they aided and abetted the crime, there may have to be actions taken beyond the Congress in terms of prosecution for that.”
With prosecutors alleging that Capitol rioters planned to capture and kill politicians, Pelosi’s comments came after Mikie Sherrill, a Democratic Congresswoman of New Jersey, said she saw colleagues leading groups on “reconnaissance” tours of the Capitol a day before the riot.
So far, over 30 Democrats have signed on to a letter, spearheaded by Sherrill, seeking more information about the tours that took place at the Capitol on January 5, 2021
At the media conference, her first since the House impeached President Donald Trump for a second time over his role in encouraging the pro-Trump mob, Speaker Pelosi announced there would be a review of Capitol security.
She said retired Lt Gen Russel Honoré was being tapped to lead a security review of the US Capitol following last week’s deadly insurrection.
Honoré is perhaps best known for overseeing humanitarian aid efforts in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina.
Pelosi said Honoré would conduct an immediate review of security and inter-agency interaction and Capitol “command and control”.
Though not giving out specific details on when she would transmit the article of impeachment to the Senate, Pelosi said of the impeachment managers; “They’re now working on taking this to trial.”
She said further stated that; “You’ll be the first to know when we announce that we’re going over there.”
Once the Senate receives the article, the chamber must begin a trial to determine whether the president should be convicted and removed from office. Though the trial will probably conclude after President-elect Joe Biden has taken the oath of office on 20 January, a conviction could prevent Trump from running for president again.
A handful of Republican Senators have already criticized Trump and signalled that they have not decided whether to support conviction, but at least 17 would need to break ranks to convict.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department Inspector General¸ Michael Horowitz, has announced that it was launching a review of its role in the riot.
Horowitz said his office would “assess whether there are any weaknesses in DoJ protocols, policies, or procedures that adversely affected the ability of DoJ or its components to prepare effectively for and respond to the events at the US Capitol on January 6”.
However, a federal prosecutor confirmed that the department has already opened 175 criminal investigations in connection to the Capitol riot, and that number is expected to surpass 300 by the beginning of next week.
Addressing a press conference, acting US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Michael Sherwin, said his office was exploring “more significant felony charges” against those involved in the riot.
Sherwin, who also acknowledged growing hints that law enforcement officers, both current and former, participated in the riot, said; “We don’t care what your profession is; we will charge you, and you will be arrested.”
Similarly, FBI Assistant Director, Steven D’Antuono, who leads the Washington field office, said even friends and family of the rioters were providing tips to the bureau.
“You might want to turn yourselves in instead of wondering when we’re going to knock on your door, because we will”, D’Antuono said – The Guardian
