House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol: findings and what happened next
The attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election result.
- Country
- United States
- Type
- parliamentary inquiry
- Chaired by
- Bennie Thompson
- Report published
- 22 December 2022
- Recommendations
- 11
Implementation, as of 20 January 2025An Electoral Count Act update was enacted in December 2022. The federal case against Mr Trump was dismissed without prejudice in November 2024, and in January 2025 a presidential proclamation pardoned or commuted the sentences of those convicted of offences related to 6 January 2021.
What the inquiry found
- The committee concluded that Donald Trump's plan to declare victory in the 2020 election was premeditated.2,1
- The committee stated that Mr Trump "summoned a mob" to Washington and was aware of violence at the Capitol for more than three hours before intervening, which it called 187 minutes of dereliction.2
- The committee said top aides knew fraud claims would not change the outcome.2
Key recommendations
- Recommendations included stronger penalties for obstructing a peaceful transfer of power, federal penalties for threatening election workers and clarifying that the vice president's role in certification is ceremonial.2
What happened next
- The committee referred Mr Trump to the Justice Department on four potential charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding.3,2
- Congress passed an update to the Electoral Count Act clarifying that the vice president's role in certification is ceremonial.2
- A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia indicted Mr Trump on four counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.5
- Judge Tanya Chutkan granted the government's unopposed motion and dismissed the superseding indictment without prejudice. The government cited Justice Department policy and precedent.6,7
- President Trump issued a proclamation commuting the sentences of 14 people to time served, pardoning all other individuals convicted of offences related to events at or near the Capitol on 6 January 2021, and directing the Attorney General to seek dismissal with prejudice of all pending indictments related to those events.4
Read the report: www.govinfo.gov/collection/january-6th-committee-final-report
Sources
- U.S. Government Publishing Office, Select January 6th Committee Final Report and Supporting Materials Collection (22 December 2022)
- NPR, After 18 months of investigations, the Jan. 6 report is out. Here are the toplines (23 December 2022)
- NPR, The House Jan. 6 committee releases its final report on the Capitol attack (21 December 2022)
- The White House, Granting pardons and commutation of sentences for certain offenses relating to the events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 (20 January 2025)
- U.S. Department of Justice, Special Counsel's Office, Indictment, United States v. Donald J. Trump, No. 1:23-cr-00257-TSC (1 August 2023)
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (via CourtListener), Order granting motion to dismiss, United States v. Trump, No. 23-257 (TSC) (25 November 2024)
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (via CourtListener), Memorandum opinion, United States v. Trump, No. 23-257 (TSC) (25 November 2024)