The House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 insurrection believes former President Trump himself may have committed crimes in the lead-up to the attack on the Capitol. The possible crimes: conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstructing the counting of electoral votes. Although the committee itself has no power to file criminal charges, yesterday’s developments are the clearest sign yet that House investigators believe the former President broke the law.
GW Graduate School of Political Management professor Matt Dallek has written about the precarious question of prosecuting former President Trump. He believes going after the 45th President would set a very risky precedent…but letting him off scot-free would be even more dangerous. Professor Dallek is available to discuss the pros and cons of prosecuting a President and compare the current dilemma with previous episodes of presidential misconduct.
Catherine J. Ross is the Lyle T. Alverson Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School and the author of the recent book A Right to Lie? Presidents, Other Liars, and the First Amendment. She has written previously about the charges of incitement to violence and the January 6 attack where she compared the charges against Donald Trump to the Supreme Court case in Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) which involved a Ku Klux Klan leader’s incitement. She is available to comment on the “crime/fraud exception” to attorney-client privilege.
To schedule an interview with any of these experts, contact GW Media at [email protected] or 202-994-6460.