The close of the Jan. 6 committee marks a new chapter in the review of the deadly Capitol riot, with the fact-finding mission of the panel — and their plea for accountability — now resting largely with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The select committee’s investigation, which effectively ended with the culmination of the last Congress, has left a trove of leads for the Justice Department to explore.
Its report highlighted investigative loose ends, while the panel left thousands of exhibits of raw evidence posted publicly.
It also finished with a direct ask of the Justice Department: to weigh criminal referrals against former President Trump and the attorney who encouraged Vice President Mike Pence to buck his ceremonial duty to certify the 2020 election results.
The Justice Department now faces pressure to carry the torch, even as its own probes, at least in the public sphere, have largely been directed at those who stormed the Capitol and not those who incited them.
