Trump faces more woes in Jan 6 panel’s blockbuster finale

Bloomberg

Donald Trump awaits the most serious blow yet from House lawmakers investigating the January 6 Capitol attack — a possible recommendation that he be prosecuted just as he’s launching a comeback bid for the White House.
The committee is poised to decide on Monday whether to refer Trump and several advisers to the Justice Department for criminal charges for their conduct in connection with the deadly insurrection in 2021. It culminates an 17-month investigation by the panel, which will also unveil its findings in a massive report.
In Trump’s case, the nine members will vote on whether to recommend a prosecution for obstructing an official government proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the US, according to people familiar with the plans. A charge of insurrection is also under consideration, one of the people said.
While a criminal referral by the panel won’t have a formal legal impact, it would be a powerful statement. And it would add to Trump’s mounting legal problems, including a federal special counsel’s investigation of his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents after leaving office. There’s also a Georgia grand jury probe into his attempts to pressure state election officials.
The panel’s nationally televised meeting at 1 pm on Monday in Washington marks Trump’s latest woes since he announced his 2024 candidacy in November. In recent weeks his company has been convicted of tax fraud, his dinner with a supremacist raised a furor and polls showed his support cratering after disappointing Republican results in the midterm elections. Surveys show him losing to President Joe Biden in a re-match.
Options for the committee include asking the Justice Department to prosecute the people for crimes or to pursue civil penalties. Referrals could also be made to the House ethics committee or state bar associations for other sanctions, including several members of Congress who did not comply with committee subpoenas.
For Trump, the committee’s findings will further tarnish his standing among swing voters who punished his party in key midterm battlegrounds.
It will also fuel increasing concerns among Republicans that Trump damages the GOP with voters it must win to recapture the White House and expand power in Congress.