Committee News

A committee is a group subordinate to an assembly that can explore matters more fully than the assembly itself would be able to. It can be composed of people with different areas of expertise or interest, and the results of its deliberations are often more enlightening than those of the assembly itself. A committee can also help to organize a large event, such as a conference or a convention.

After a committee has completed its work, it presents its findings to the assembly. This report typically includes the methods used and facts uncovered by the committee, as well as any recommendations made by the committee. Depending on the type of committee and the assembly, this report may also include a recommendation to take action on the matter. The result of this recommendation can be taken as a vote of the committee, or the committee might decide to table the measure, meaning that it will no longer be considered by the assembly.

The House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on Congress has issued a comprehensive summary of evidence that it believes shows President Trump should face criminal charges for his actions that day. It lays out in detail how Trump tried to overpower and pressure those who opposed his illegal schemes to undermine the election. That arm-twisting included the election administrators in key states, senior Justice Department officials and state lawmakers. It also includes his efforts to dox witnesses, including former White House staffer Hope Hicks.

In addition to describing how Trump violated various criminal statutes, the summary highlights how those closest to him helped him carry out his illegal plans. It explains how Trump allies like lawyer Rudy Giuliani and campaign advisers like Sean Hannity conspired with him to weaponize the Justice Department in his quest to overturn the election. It also details how Trump aides like Hope Hicks and Michael Herschmann encouraged him to publicly call for peace on the Capitol grounds, even as violence was occurring.

The summary also details the abuses faced by the two workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss, who were ordered to stop vote counting in Georgia despite the fact that they had reported no wrongdoing. The committee says it also found evidence that pro-Trump activists in the state threatened to harm the election workers and their families, while a Twitter user leaked the private phone number of Moss for her refusal to be intimidated.