Justice Department Says Jan. 6 Committee’s ‘Failure’ To Share Interview Transcripts Impeding Insurrection Investigations

Topline

In a letter to the January 6 committee on Wednesday, the Justice Department renewed its request for the panel to share transcripts from interviews with witnesses it has conducted as a part of its probe, claiming the panel’s “failure” to provide the documents was impeding the agency’s ability to prosecute those who participated in the insurrection.

Key Facts

Big Number

More than a thousand. That’s how many people the January 6 committee has interviewed so far.

Key Background

The chair of the January 6 select committee, Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), told reporters in May the Justice Department had asked for transcripts from its investigation. He said the committee couldn’t “give them full access to our product” because it hadn’t completed its work. Thompson suggested the panel had put a lot of time and effort into their interviews and was hesitant to simply hand them over. He told reporters the panel may allow department officials to review documents in committee offices. The House committee has no authority to pursue criminal charges, but the Justice Department can use them as evidence in criminal cases. Justice Department officials first wrote to Heaphy in April that some committee interviews could “contain information relevant to a criminal investigation we are conducting,” according to the New York Times. Prosecutors were seeking documents about people who organized or spoke at pro-Trump rallies as well as members of the executive and legislative branches who may have tried to block, influence or delay the certification of the election, the Times reported. The letter comes as the January 6 committee held its third public hearing Thursday to share findings from its months-long investigation into the Capitol riots. The hearing is centered on how former President Donald Trump pressured his Vice President Mike Pence to block the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

What To Watch For

The Department of Justice said during a Proud Boys court hearing last week it expects the January 6 committee to release all the transcripts in September, though it reiterated the agency had yet to receive the documents despite ongoing discussions with the panel.

Further Reading

Justice Department requests transcripts from Jan. 6 committee (Politico)

Justice Dept. Is Said to Request Transcripts From Jan. 6 Committee (New York Times)

Jan. 6 Hearings: Pence Told Trump ‘Many Times’ He Couldn’t Overturn Election Results, Staffer Says (Forbes)