Republicans Decry Jan. 6 Committee’s ‘Politically Driven’ Effort to Criminally Investigate Trump

Prominent Republicans are advising the Department of Justice (DOJ) to not pursue a criminal investigation of former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 Committee announced its intention to launch such a probe. Republicans say the move will focus on the wrong issues and will come off as a “politically driven” decision. In a March 2 legal brief, the Jan. 6 Committee stated that because of his efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election—which many have argued was rife with voter fraud—Trump “may have engaged in criminal and/or fraudulent acts.” Several Democrats have pushed for a DOJ investigation of Trump, frustrated that Attorney General Merrick Garland hasn’t turned his substantial power toward an in-depth investigation of the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally and the events leading up to it. However, Garland, perhaps concerned that an investigation would appear too political in the wake of his highly controversial …