Attack on the US Capitol: Committee presents final report

For about a year and a half, a US Congress panel investigated the attack on the Capitol – and what role ex-President Trump played in it. The more than 800-page final report is now available.

The investigative committee into the storming of the US Capitol has presented its final report. The 845-page report was published on Thursday evening. It summarizes all the results of the congress committee as of January 6, 2021 and is the conclusion of the body’s work of around one and a half years. New revelations about the background to the storming of the Capitol or the role of ex-President Trump are not expected.

The main allegation against Trump is that he was involved in a criminal “multi-stage conspiracy” with the aim of overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election. He also did not prevent his supporters from storming the seat of Congress.

At their last meeting on Monday, the committee members – seven Democratic and two Republican congressmen – recommended that ex-President Trump be prosecuted. Among other things, they accuse Trump of inciting or aiding a riot and obstructing an official process. It is still unclear whether the US Department of Justice will follow this recommendation.

Witness accuses Trump team of intimidation

At the same time as the final report, the investigative committee also released transcripts of witness interviews, videos and other documentary evidence. It emerges that a former White House staffer, Cassidy Hutchinson, accuses those close to ex-President Donald Trump of pressuring her to testify before the investigative committee.

Hutchinson, who worked for then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, had been a surprise witness for the panel over the summer. She had testified in part behind closed doors, so her accusation that Trump’s team had tried to influence her only now became known.

“The less you can remember, the better”

Trump’s environment offered her jobs and financial support – even for high legal fees. At the same time, she was urged to downplay her role in the White House and remain loyal: her own lawyer, Stefan Passantino, who served as Trump’s White House ethics counsel, also advised her not to be too forthcoming when testifying before the committee be. “The less you can remember, the better,” Passantino told her.

She had also testified that Trump was aware that violence could erupt when the Capitol was stormed on January 6, 2021. In a confrontation with his Secret Service bodyguards in his limousine, he also tried to grab the steering wheel to be driven to the Capitol. Trump had denied the allegations and publicly insulted Hutchinson.