Amid a looming deadline to finalize the Committee’s work, the January 6 House Committee has established a subcommittee that needs to create possible criminal referrals and examine “outstanding issues.”
The subcommittee, which is made up of the Committee’s lawyers, was established about a month ago, according to chairman Bennie Thompson.
The subcommittee will be examining unresolved subpoenas — including subpoenas issued to lawmakers and former President Donald Trump. The subcommittee will also tie up investigative loose ends and recommendations the Panel should make to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Thompson explained the subcommittee’s purpose was to ascertain how the January 6 Panel should pursue those who haven’t recognized their Congressional subpoenas allowing the Panel to make the decision based on those recommendations.
The January 6 Committee is expected to publish its final report in December but has to contend with an overwhelming amount of loose ends as the Committee will end when the next Congress starts.
The Committee also has six unresolved subpoenas. Besides Trump’s, the subpoenas — many of which were issued in May — including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is likely to become House Speaker when Republicans assume their House majority in January, Republican Reps. Andy Biggs (AZ.), Jim Jordan (OH.), and Mo Brooks (AL.).
The panel hasn’t referred any of the six men for contempt of Congress, a move that would require the DOJ’s involvement if approved by the House.
To tie up the mountain of loose ends, the Committee will offer the subcommittee its staff in support.
