EXPLAINER: How lawmakers are investigating the Jan. 6 riot

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WASHINGTON – The House committee tasked with investigating the deadly Jan. 6 riot astatine the U.S. Capitol has been ramping up its efforts successful caller weeks, issuing subpoenas to astir 20 individuals, including 4 of erstwhile President Donald Trump's advisers and associates.

Lawmakers connected the committee person made wide that they privation to determination rapidly to get grounds and documents related to the attack. One witnesser summoned to testify, erstwhile Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon, is facing a transgression contempt referral aft defying the panel's subpoena.

Here's a deeper look astatine the committee, its ngo and however it operates:

WHY IS CONGRESS INVESTIGATING?

Unlike immoderate erstwhile investigations successful the Trump epoch — including the Russia probes and the impeachment enquiry into Trump's interactions with Ukraine — the cardinal facts of the Jan. 6 insurrection are known. A radical of Trump supporters, fueled by his mendacious claims of a stolen election, brutally assaulted constabulary and smashed their mode into the Capitol to interrupt the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.

But determination are inactive unanswered questions astir the onslaught connected the Capitol, and lawmakers accidental they are committed to presenting a afloat accounting to marque definite it ne'er happens again.

The committee is looking into each facet of the riot, including what Trump himself was doing portion it unfolded and immoderate connections betwixt the White House and the rioters who broke into the building.

The sheet is besides investigating however the protests starring up to and during the insurrection were financed, including the rally astatine the Ellipse connected Jan. 6 preceding the riot.

“The biggest achromatic container though is what was the president’s role? What was the relation of radical successful the White House? What did the president cognize astir who was coming to this rally?" House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who sits connected the panel, said successful an interrogation connected C-SPAN. ”And what did helium bash erstwhile helium recovered out?"

The Democrat from California added, “There are a batch of important unanswered questions.”

Trump's claims of wide predetermination fraud were soundly rejected by a succession of judges, by authorities predetermination officials and by Trump's ain lawyer general, William Barr. No lawsuit has ever established irregularities of a standard that would person changed the outcome.

A BROAD INQUIRY

Another extremity for the committee is looking into wherefore U.S. Capitol Police — arsenic good arsenic federal, authorities and section instrumentality enforcement agencies — were truthful ill-prepared for the rally-turned-insurrection and whether their response, aft it began, was inadequate. The factors that contributed to the attack, including the relation of exertion companies and online platforms specified arsenic Facebook and Twitter, is besides nether review.

Last week, committee members expanded the scope of their probe erstwhile they subpoenaed Jeffrey Clark, a erstwhile Justice Department lawyer who positioned himself arsenic an state of Donald Trump. The demands for documents and grounds from Clark, who aided Trump's efforts to situation the results of the 2020 election, bespeak the committee’s involvement successful the chaos that ensued successful the Justice Department arsenic Trump and his allies leaned connected authorities lawyers to beforehand his mendacious predetermination claims.

The committee’s probe plans connected gathering upon findings of different investigations being conducted, including the large-scale prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice of the much than 600 rioters from astir each state. But, ultimately, the last study the committee volition nutrient volition beryllium abstracted from the DOJ effort.

WHAT POWERS DOES THE PANEL HAVE?

For now, the sheet is conducting closed-door interviews alternatively than unfastened hearings, trying to physique a broad representation of everything that happened that time and who was down it.

But that's not ever casual to bash — particularly with aides and confidants of the erstwhile president, who learned during his presidency that determination were fewer consequences for rebuffing Congress.

The committee seat has the powerfulness to contented subpoenas, and they tin besides prosecute contempt charges against subpoenaed witnesses who garbage to comply. On Wednesday, the committee volition commencement that process with a ballot to urge transgression contempt charges against Bannon, who defied a subpoena past week.

The afloat House would past ballot to nonstop that proposal to the Justice Department, which would past determine whether to prosecute. Biden has said helium would similar the Justice Department to prosecute, but Attorney General Merrick Garland has not indicated what helium would do.

WHAT’S AHEAD?

The Jan. 6 sheet truthful acold has issued 19 subpoenas arsenic thousands of pages of documents are flowing to the committee and its staff.

Besides Bannon, lawmakers person said they are “engaging” with 2 different Trump officials — erstwhile White House main of unit Mark Meadows and erstwhile Defense Department authoritative Kashyap Patel. It remains unclear whether Dan Scavino, Trump’s longtime societal media manager and 1 of his astir loyal aides, volition cooperate.

Of the subpoenas issued, 13 were to officials who helped program rallies successful enactment of Trump up of the attack, including the monolithic lawsuit connected the time of the siege astatine which the president told his supporters to “fight similar hell.”

Those individuals person been ordered to look astatine abstracted depositions the committee has scheduled from precocious October done the opening of November.

In addition, the committee is receiving enactment from the Biden medication arsenic it seeks accusation and documents. Biden rejected Trump’s assertion of enforcement privilege surrounding documents requested from Trump's clip successful the White House. The setup of their imaginable merchandise to Congress is expected successful mid-November.

It is unclear astatine this constituent erstwhile the committee volition wrapper up its probe and merchandise a last report.

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Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

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