Capitol assault: Trump should no longer hold public office concludes House Committee

Europe 1 with AFP 5:59 p.m., December 23, 2022

Donald Trump should never be able to hold new public office after inciting his supporters to insurrection, concludes the final report of the US parliamentary inquiry into the January 6, 2021 Capitol assault, released Thursday night See you Friday.

The conclusion of this 845-page document is followed by a list of recommendations aimed at ensuring that the attack on the seat of American democracy, which the former Republican president is accused of having orchestrated to prevent the transfer of power to his Democratic opponent Joe Biden after his victory in the 2020 presidential election, never repeats.

Trump 'main cause' of assault

"Our country cannot tolerate a defeated president turning into a tyrant seeking to overthrow our democratic institutions (and) and sow violence," said Bennie Thompson, head of the commission, in the introduction to the report.

The report urges legislation to prohibit Donald Trump, the 2024 candidate again, and anyone who engages in "insurrection" from holding public office whether "federal or state, civil or military".

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Assault on the Capitol: the parliamentary committee recommends criminal proceedings against Trump

The culmination of 18 months of investigation, during which elected officials interviewed a thousand people, examined a mountain of documents and held high-profile public hearings, the report establishes that the Republican billionaire was "the main cause" of the events of 6 January.

The nine members of the commission - seven Democrats and two Republicans - thus recommended Monday that criminal proceedings be launched against the former president, for calling for insurrection, conspiracy against the American State, obstruction of a official procedure (certification of a presidential election) and false declarations.

They also advocated reforms to election laws, federal action against extremist groups, and classification of Congressional certification of presidential elections as a "national special security event," like the State of the Nation address. Union, delivered annually by the US President to Congress.

"No one is above the law"

The publication of this report constitutes the last blow of brilliance of the commission of inquiry before its dissolution in January when the Republicans, who are in great majority opposed to this investigation, will take control of the House of Representatives.

Bennie Thompson said he was "convinced" Monday on CNN that the Department of Justice, which began to receive material and evidence from the parliamentary inquiry, was going to indict Donald Trump.

"No one, including a former president, is above the law," he said.

Donald Trump, who has denounced the congressional investigation as "a witch hunt" and its members "social cases" and "thugs", must also face criminal and civil investigations into his financial affairs in New York and the electoral pressure he exerted in Georgia to try to overturn the 2020 election.