Former US President Donald Trump is to be prosecuted for his role in the storming of the Capitol in Washington early last year by his supporters. This is the opinion of a committee of the House of Representatives, one of the two houses of the US parliament.
The commission recommends that the judiciary take a criminal action against Trump. It is the first time that the parliament has done such a thing, American media report.
The special commission, which has been investigating the Capitol bombing for months, accuses the former Republican president of conspiracy and contributing to an insurrection, among other things. That accusation could become an obstacle to Trump’s candidacy for president, because the constitution bans insurgents from holding office.
Vice President Liz Cheney, herself a Republican, called Trump “unfit for any office.”
There were some dead in the assault
The Capitol was stormed on January 6, 2021 by supporters of then-President Trump, who had lost the election two months earlier. He had invited his parents to oppose the result, which was then ratified by parliament. Several people were killed in the unprecedented stampede, which is seen as an attack on democracy.
The committee also calls for the prosecution of some of Trump’s confidants.
In response to his Truth Social platform, Trump dismissed the committee’s recommendation as an attempt to undermine his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election. He says the allegations are “false.” “This whole prosecution thing is just like the impeachment was: a partisan attempt to sideline me and the Republican Party,” the former president said.
