Criminal Referrals and Democracy Undermined

Every step of the way, the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol has been groundbreaking.

As it wraps up its work, the panel referred former President Donald J. Trump to the Justice Department and accused him of four crimes, including inciting insurrection. The referrals do not carry legal weight or compel any action by the Justice Department, but they were a major escalation.

Here’s what happened during the committee’s final public meeting.

Guest: Luke Broadwater, a Congressional reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Here are six takeaways from the final Jan. 6 hearing, and key findings from the panel’s report, annotated.
• Mr. Trump’s current woes extend beyond the report, but the case the committee laid out against him further complicates his future.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

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