According to reports, Justice Department and FBI officials were arguing over whether or not to charge everyone who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, and some argue that no charges should be filed against those that they did not behave violently.
The Washington Post He reported on Saturday of the internal deliberations, citing several people familiar with the discussions. The Post added that discussions on this decision are in the early stages, without taking any formal stance on the matter.
Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to freely discuss legal deliberations, told the Post that some federal officials pointed to the logistical concerns of cases flooding the local court. Authorities estimate that approximately 800 people stormed the Capitol during the deadly pro-Trump uprising.
People have been arrested in several states in connection with the attack, but each case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
As of Saturday, the Justice Department has already indicted more than 135 people for committing crimes on or near the Capitol premises, with more charges planned for the coming weeks and months.
Some federal officials have also proposed that people who are only known to have committed illegal income and who did not engage in any violent conduct should not be charged, according to the newspaper.
However, other officials have rejected this proposal, stating the importance of using the charges to send a message that similar actions will not be tolerated in the future.
Sources told the Post that they are sensitive to the fact that this decision could call into question the credibility of the Justice Department and the FBI.
Justice Department spokesman Marc Raimondi said in an email to the publication, “The Justice Department has an absolute decision to hold all those who intentionally commit crimes in the Capitol accountable.”
“We have constantly made it clear that we will follow the facts and evidence and prosecute people accordingly,” Raimondi added. “We are confident that the United States District Court in Washington, DC can properly handle the case related to the resulting charges.”
The Hill has contacted the Justice Department and the FBI for additional comments.
Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 after the former president encouraged a crowd at the National Mall to march on the Capitol and demand Congress stop the certification of President Biden’s Electoral College victory.
At the time, Congress was in the midst of a debate over an objection to election results in the state of Arizona.
Trump, in the past, has repeated a false claim that he was “stolen” from the election and that the “election” was “called”.
Five people were killed in the chaos, including a Capitol police officer who was injured while responding to the riots, as well as a woman shot by a plainclothes officer.