DOJ: Jan. 6 committee’s failure to provide witness transcripts is hampering criminal investigation

The Justice Department said it urgently needs witness transcripts from the House Jan. 6 committee to move forward with criminal investigations.

Lawyers for the department wrote in a letter to the committee’s top lawyer that the lack of access to the transcripts is infringing on their work to move forward with their criminal investigations.

“The select committee’s failure to grant the department access to these transcripts complicates the department’s ability to investigate and prosecute those who engaged in criminal conduct in relation to the January 6 attack on the Capitol,” said the letter that was sent on Wednesday.

Members of the committee, which is made up of seven Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans, have been split on whether to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department against former President Donald Trump. Committee members have said the Justice Department is closing watching the committee’s hearings and could pursue criminal charges on its own.

The letter from the Justice Department did not specify if the transcripts sought would impact potential charges against Mr. Trump or the hundreds of rioters facing charges.

A former U.S. president has never been subjected to criminal charges.

The Justice Department attorneys said the committee had played extensive portions of interviews of those the department charged in connection to the riot and quoted from filings in active litigation.

The department said it’s highly likely that the interviews the committee pursued would benefit overall criminal investigations, but also relate to specific prosecutions that have already begun.

“We cannot be sure that all relevant evidence has been considered without access to the transcripts that are uniquely within the select committee’s possession,” the Justice Department lawyers said.

The committee on Thursday held its third public hearing this month, this time focusing on former President Donald Trump’s efforts to convince then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election results in his favor.