Jan 6 Committee Reportedly Sent Materials to DOJ

The House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is already is reportedly already working with the Justice Department on their probe into former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

According to Punchbowl News, the committee has been "extensively cooperating" with DOJ, including transmitting documents to the office of special counsel Jack Smith, the prosecutor appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, to oversee the Trump investigations.

The committee has specifically sent over documents and transcripts related to Trump's former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows as well as materials related to law professor and Trump adviser John Eastman, who lead the "fake electors" scheme in the effort to overturn the certification of electoral votes.

Meadows' text messages and interview transcripts from witnesses talking about the "fake electors" plot have reportedly already been turned over to DOJ.

This comes after the committee concluded its year-long investigation with a final meeting Monday to announce criminal referrals against Trump and vote on their final report that is expected to be published Wednesday.

Panel Remains in Closed Meeting on Trump's Tax Returns

The House Ways and Means Committee remains in a closed meeting, nearly 90 minutes after voting in favor of moving Tuesday's meeting into executive session.

The meeting, in which committee members were expected to deliberate whether to publicly release former President Donald Trump's tax returns, began at about 3 p.m. ET. A majority of the committee members present quickly voted in favor of moving the meeting behind closed doors, and reporters were instructed to leave the meeting room.

The meeting was still in executive session at 4:30 p.m. ET. It was unclear how much longer the meeting would remain closed to the public.

Committee members were expected to vote later Tuesday on the proposed release of Trump's tax returns.

House GOP Promises to Protect Private Taxpayers

Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee held a press conference before today's Committee meeting to discuss the release of former President Donald Trump's tax returns.

Ranking Member Kevin Brady of Texas said the Republican members are united in their concern that Democratic members will move forward with the "unprecedented action" to publicly release Trump's tax returns, saying this move will "jeopardize the right of every American to be protected from political targeting by Congress."

Brady said their concern is not about whether the former president should have made his tax returns public previously or about the accuracy of the returns.

The concern is that by releasing the returns, the committee will "set a terrible precedent that unleashes a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond the former president and overturns decades of privacy protections for average Americans."

"Our current law was put in place to prevent presidents and members of Congress from targeting political enemies through their tax returns," he said,

He also blasted the the Supreme Court for not stopping the "flimsy and admittedly partisan Democrat efforts to target former President Trump for purely political reasons," which compromised the "longstanding privacy protections for all taxpayers."

Moving forward, Brady said the majority Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee will have "nearly unlimited power" to target and make public the tax returns of private citizens, political enemies, business and labor leaders or Supreme Court justices.

"No party in Congress should have that power. No individuals in Congress should have that power," he said. "It's the power to embarrass to harass to destroy Americans through disclosure of their tax returns," adding that he worries this move will "unleash a cycle of political retribution in Congress."

House Republicans promised to "fight to protect American taxpayers from this abuse of power." They are insisting the transcript from the closed Ways and Means Committee meeting be made public.

"We urge Democrats to turn back while they still can if they make private information public today, it will be a regrettable stain on this committee and on Congress will make American politics even more divisive and disheartening in the long run," Brady said. "We believe even Democrats will come to regret this with that."

When taking questions, Brady did not say what actions Republicans on the committee will take on this matter beyond today's meeting.

Trump Says FBI 'Rigged' 2020 Election

Today, former President Donald Trump reiterated his claims of widespread fraud in a presidential election that happened two years ago.

On Tuesday, Trump doubled down on accusations that the government interfered with the 2020 election, stealing it from him.

"Our Government, through the FBI, RIGGED the 2020 Presidential Election!" he wrote.

Trump also said he hopes Jack Smith, the Justice Department's Special Prosecutor overseeing criminal investigations into Trump and part of the Jan. 6 investigation, and other "Trump haters" will prosecute the "fraudulent, but highly successful effort made by the FBI in illegally changing the results of the 2020 Presidential Election."

House Panel Votes to Hold Closed Meeting

The House Ways and Means Committee voted to hold its Tuesday meeting, during which committee members are expected to debate the potential public release of former President Donald Trump's tax returns, behind closed doors.

The executive session vote came shortly after the committee convened at 3 p.m. ET.

Twenty-three committee members voted in favor of moving the meeting into executive session and 16 members voted against, according to Congressional reporters. Reporters were then told to leave so that the meeting could continue.

It was not immediately clear how long the executive session would last. The committee is expected to hold a vote regarding the proposed public release of Trump's tax returns later today.

Meeting on Trump's Tax Returns Begins Soon

The House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to hold a meeting at 3 p.m. ET, during which committee members are expected to discuss whether or not to publicly release former President Donald Trump's tax returns.

The meeting will stream live on the committee's YouTube channel and on C-SPAN.

It was not immediately clear whether the public would be able to watch the entire meeting or if committee members would vote to discuss the documents in question behind closed doors, according to the Associated Press.

Once the committee completes its discussion, it is expected to hold a final vote on whether to release the former President's tax returns.

Ahead of the meeting, congressional reporters shared video on social media showing documents being wheeled into the meeting room.

Trump Says Pence 'Did Have a Choice' to Overturn Election

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the proposed efforts by Congress to update federal election law to prevent future interference in the counting of electoral votes.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said he doesn't care if the Electoral Count Reform Act is changed, though he said it's "probably better to leave it the way it is."

He did take issue, however, with the clarification of the Vice President's role in the count.

"They ["Democrats and RINOS"] said the Vice President has 'absolutely no choice,' it was carved in 'steel,' but if he has no choice, why are they changing the law saying he has no choice?" Trump wrote Tuesday.

The bipartisan omnibus government funding bill includes a provision that would update federal election law to clarify that the role of the Vice President as the presiding officer of the joint meeting of Congress to ensure "that he or she does not have any power to solely determine, accept, reject, or otherwise adjudicate disputes over electors."

This is part of a Congressional effort to ensure that "electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state's vote for President."

During the electoral vote count on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump tried to pressure Vice President Mike Pence into rejecting the electoral count as he presided over the joint session in Congress and overturn President Joe Biden's victory. Trump claimed Pence had the authority to throw out electoral vote but Pence refused.

Republican Representative Liz Cheney, the Vice Chair of the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, said Trump's request was not only wrong, but "illegal and unconstitutional." Pence later discussed how he had "no right to overturn the election."

A former Trump aide also told the House Committee that the former President told his staff that Pence "deserved" the "hang Mike Pence" chants from the crowds outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 started after Trump tweeted about Pence. Trump later denied this claim on his Truth Social account.

Trump said Tuesday that "the Vice President did have a choice" over the electoral count and that "the 2020 Voting Fraud was far greater than anyone thought possible."

Trump also shared an article about Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky endorsing the Electoral Count Reform Act because it is necessary to save the Electoral College.

Paul said recent elections uncovered "defects" in Congress' interaction with the Electoral College and that federal law leaves the Vice President's role in counting electoral votes "ambiguous" and the threshold to object to a state's election results "incredibly low."

Trump took this op-ed as reassurance that "John Eastman and others were correct in stating that the Vice President of the United States had the right to do what should have been done."

"The only reason this change is being promulgated is to reform The Electoral Count Act so that the VP cannot do what they powerfully said he couldn't do, but if it couldn't be done, why are they making this law change? The whole thing is one big Scam!" Trump wrote.

Trump Attorney Says Americans 'Don't Want' Charges

A lawyer for former President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the House January 6 Committee's recommendation of criminal charges against Trump is not something the American public wants.

"The American people don't want this," attorney Christina Bobb said during a Tuesday morning appearance on OAN. "This committee hates the American people. Democrats and this establishment hate the American people. They don't care about what the American people want."

If the select committee investigating the riot at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 did care about what the American public wants, Bobb said, "they would be thinking twice and they would pause before doing something so drastic as recommending that they charge President Trump with criminal charges and try to prevent him from running [for office]."

Bobb described the criminal referrals as "an affront to the American people" and "the most un-American move we could imagine." She said the select committee is "trying to force their will" on Americans "before they're tossed from office."

"This was a power grab with the few remaining days they have left," she added.

As for Trump, Bobb said he is taking news of the criminal referrals "like a champ."

"This is not the first time they've thrown something wrong and illegal at Donald Trump," Bobb said.

Capitol Rioter Reportedly Sentenced to 14 Days in Prison

Another person involved in the riot at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 was reportedly sentenced to 14 days in jail on Tuesday.

The rioter, Michael McCormick, is one of more than 900 people who have been charged so far, though the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has continued unveiling new charges in the nearly two years since the attack took place.

According to DOJ records, McCormick was arrested in November 2021 and pleaded guilty in July. He faced several charges, including entering a restricted building and conducting disorderly conduct within that space, entering the Capitol building in a violent manner and "parading, demonstrating or picketing" at the Capitol.

In the complaint filed against McCormick, prosecutors included a photo that they said showed McCormick entering the Capitol Building on the afternoon of January 6, 2021. He "was identifiable in the crowd due to his blue 'Trump 45' winter hat and a blue jacket," the complaint said. The court filing then alleged McCormick recorded video with his cellphone inside the building, with investigators finding one video estimated to be about 11 minutes long.

As Tuesday's sentencing hearing for McCormick began Tuesday, CBS News' Scott MacFarlane reported that federal prosecutors asked for McCormick to serve 21 days in jail. McCormick was sentenced to 14 days behind bars, which the judge said he could begin after the winter holidays, according to MacFarlane.

Full Jan 6 Report, GOP Rebuttal Expected This Week

The House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol concluded its work Monday.

After 10 public hearings that featured panels of witnesses and videos of testimonies from top Trump and White House staffers and advisers, the committee ended with a final wrap of their findings over the year-long investigation.

The committee announced criminal referrals against former President Donald Trump for his attempt to interrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election and his role in inciting the riot at the Capitol.

The committee also announced that it referred four Republicans, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, to the House Ethics Committee for failing to comply with the Committee's subpoenas.

It is unclear whether any action will be taken against those Representatives, as Republicans will take over the House majority starting in January.

Following the end of the business meeting, the committee released the executive summary of its final report.

"That evidence has led to an overriding and straight-forward conclusion: the central cause of January 6th was one man, former President Donald Trump, who many others followed," the committee wrote. "None of the events of January 6th would have happened without him."

The full report is expected to be publicly released Wednesday, according to Politico.

After the official report is released, House Republicans are reportedly planning to release a counter report that depicts the committee's finding as partisan.

Representative Jim Banks of Indiana told Axios that the GOP report will "focus on security failures," adding that the committee "never dealt with the serious issues" related to security at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

The GOP report is expected to come from a "shadow Jan. 6 panel" made up of Republicans who Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy chose to be on the committee but did not make it onto the final panel. This includes Banks and Representatives Jim Jordan, Scott Perry and Andy Biggs.

Banks also said that putting former President Donald Trump at the center of the committee report was "all about political payback."

A senior GOP aide told CNN that the House Republicans will wait for the Committee to release its final report after today's meeting but are prepared to release theirs soon after.

The aide added that the rebuttal report will focus on why the U.S. Capitol was "so unprepared" when the riot broke out on Jan. 6, 2021 and how to ensure it won't happen again.

WH Urges Congress to Send Funding Bill 'Without Delay'

White House officials have signaled support for the bipartisan omnibus spending package introduced this week by members of Congress. The proposed package would help fund the U.S. government for most of 2023.

A government shutdown looms if Congress does not pass another funding bill by Friday.

Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, praised the bipartisan nature of the bill in a thread she posted Tuesday morning on Twitter. She urged Congress to pass the legislation quickly so that President Joe Biden can sign it into law.

"This bipartisan funding bill is an important step forward, bringing both parties together to make progress on critical priorities for our country," her Twitter thread began. She said the omnibus bill would "advance cutting-edge research on cancer and other diseases, make our communities safer, deliver for our veterans, support the Ukrainian people, help communities recovering from devastating natural disasters, invest in child care and education, and more."

Young said that neither Democrats nor Republicans "got everything" they wanted, but said the proposed bill "is good for our economy, our competitiveness, and our country" and added, "I urge Congress to send it to @POTUS's desk without delay."

In a statement released on Monday, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patrick Leahy of Vermont, a Democrat, said the bill "directly invests in providing relief from the burden of inflation on the American people" and added that passing the legislation to fund the government for a longer stretch of time instead of agreeing on a temporary funding fix is "undoubtedly in the interest of the American people."

Proposed Law to Prevent Electoral Count Interference

The new government funding bill includes a rewrite of federal election laws to ensure that another Jan. 6-type situation does not happen again.

The bill is expected to pass in the coming days to avoid a government shutdown as the year comes to an end.

Part of the $1.7 trillion bipartisan funding bill include an update to the Electoral Count Act of 1887 that aims prevent a future presidential candidate from interfering with the counting of the state electors.

"The Electoral Count process was never meant to be a trigger point for an insurrection and that is why we are reforming it," Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the chair of the Rules Committee, said Tuesday.

The Electoral Count Reform Act of 20202 would ensure that "electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state's vote for President," according to a readout from Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

This would close the loopholes former President Donald Trump and his allies tried to exploit by submitted slates of fake state electors in an attempt to change the 2020 presidential election results in his favor.

Such updates will:

• Identify a state's governor as the person responsible for submitting the certification of the state's electors.
• Provide for expedited review of certain claims related to a state's
  certificate identifying its electors, allowing for challenges made under existing federal law and the Constitution to be resolved more quickly.
• Require Congress to defer to slates of electors submitted by a state's governor.
• Clarify the role of the vice president as the presiding officer of the joint meeting of Congress to ensure "that he or she does not have any power to solely determine, accept, reject, or otherwise adjudicate disputes over electors."
• Raise the threshold to object to the electors to at least one-fifth of the House and Senate, reducing the likelihood of "frivolous objections" by ensuring that
  objections are broadly supported.
• Strike an "archaic" provision that could be used to override the popular vote in a state by declaring a "failed election." Instead, the bill specifies that a state could move its presidential election day to the first Monday in November "only if necessitated by extraordinary and catastrophic event."

Additionally, the Presidential Transition Improvement Act would help promote the orderly transfer of power by "providing clear guidelines for when eligible candidates for President or Vice President may receive federal resources to support their transition into office," Manchin's readout states.

• It provides guidelines for when candidates receive transition resources in contested elections, allowing both candidates to receive equal access to federal transition resources if neither concedes within five days of election day until it is certain who will win the majority of electoral votes.
• It establishes new reporting requirements for the Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration when neither candidate concedes.

"Our bipartisan group worked tirelessly to draft this legislation that fixes the flaws of the archaic and ambiguous Electoral Count Act of 1887 and establishes clear guidelines for our system of certifying and counting electoral votes for President and Vice President," Senators Manchin and Susan Collins of Maine said in a joint statement.

Trump NFT Owners Make Big Profit After Cards Sell Out

Consumers who purchased former President Donald Trump's digital trading cards when they first went on sale last week have already made significant profits, Newsweek reported.

Trump began selling his NFTs on December 15. The cards, which were initially priced at $99, sold out within hours.

The day after the NFTs were initially available, the original cards were valued at more than $500,000. After an initial increase, their value began to decline by the start of this week, but were still valued above the initial $99 investment price.

By Tuesday, five days after the NFTs went on sale, thousands of people had already sold the cards to other buyers, Newsweek reported. As of Tuesday morning, the value of a single Trump NFT on the NFT sales platform OpenSea was estimated to be about $350. The price marked a significant drop from the cards' estimated value immediately after they sold out, but was still more than three times the original value.

Trump previewed his NFT "major announcement" on December 14, saying in a post on Truth Social that "America needs a superhero." The announcement included a partial image of one of the digital trading cards, which appeared to depict Trump as a superhero character. His NFT announcement came one month to the day after he declared his intention to run for president again in 2024.

Ways and Means GOP Leader Urges Against Releasing Trump's Tax Returns

Congressional Republicans are accusing Democrats of targeting former President Donald Trump and asking his tax returns not be made public.

"Ways and Means Democrats are unleashing a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond President Trump, and jeopardizes the privacy of every American," Ways and Means GOP Leader Rep. Kevin Brady said in a statement earlier this week.

Brady said "partisans in Congress" will not only target their political enemies, but private citizens.

"Going forward, partisans in Congress have nearly unlimited power to target political enemies by obtaining and making public their private tax returns to embarrass and destroy them," he said. "This is not limited to public officials, but can target private citizens, businesses and labor leaders, and Supreme Court justices."

The Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee are urging Democrats not to "unleash this dangerous new political weapon on the American people."

House Panel to Discuss Releasing Trump's Tax Returns

The House Ways and Means Committee will meet this afternoon to discuss whether or not to publicly release former President Donald Trump's tax returns.

As a candidate, Trump broke tradition by refusing to release his returns after bragging about exploiting tax loopholes and how he wouldn't benefits from 2017 tax cuts because of his wealth.

Under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department also refused to turn over the president's tax returns. But the Biden administration pointed to federal law that says the committee has to right to review any taxpayer's returns, including the president.

Last month, the Supreme Court decided that the Treasury Department could send the documents to Congress after a three-year legal fight.

The Democrat-led committee will review six years of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses and is expected to vote on their public release.

Trump, who recently announced his 2024 White House bid, said in a Truth Social post Sunday that "You can't learn much from tax returns, but it is illegal to release them if they are not yours!"

Republicans have accused Democrats of using their "unlimited power" to launch a partisan attack on Trump.

The Ways and Means Committee meeting will stream live on C-SPAN Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET.

Trump Accuses FBI of Coverup That Cost Him the Election

Former President Donald Trump continues to blast the House Select Committee investigating Jan. 6 and accuses the FBI of influencing the 2020 presidential election.

One day after the Committee made criminal referrals against Trump, the 2024 presidential candidate accused the "Unselect Committee" of using "disinformation" to make the case that he didn't really believe he won the 2020 presidential election.

"This is a total LIE," he said in a Truth Social post Tuesday morning. "I never thought, for even a moment, that the Presidential Election of 2020 was not Rigged & Stolen, and my conviction became even stronger as time went by."

The Committee shared testimony from Trump's close allies, including his White House staff, campaign staff and legal counsel, to help prove Trump privately knew he lost the election, despite his public statements that it was stolen. The Committee also said Trump planned to claim voter fraud even before the final results of President Joe Biden's victory came in.

Even after several courts declared there was no evidence of widespread election fraud in 2020, Trump doubled down on these unproven election fraud claims Tuesday.

He said he was "100 percent right" about the "massive evidence" of election fraud that has "come to light," including the "FBI suppression of Election changing information."

In other Truth Social posts early Tuesday, Trump claimed the "Deep State" has been working on "sinister and evil plots" against him, even before he took office.

He also said the FBI covered up information regarding Hunter Biden's laptop prior to the 2020 presidential election and pressured tech companies like Twitter to suppress those stories.

"Whether they believed it or not, they had an excuse not to use it against Biden, who would have lost millions of votes and the RIGGED & STOLEN Election!" Trump wrote in a post.

Trump said the release of such information related to the alleged coverup would have changed the election results in favor of Republicans.

"Why didn't the Unselect Committee report on the Rigged and Stolen Election, THE REASON FOR THE PROTEST?" he wrote.

Trump Responds to 'Fake Charges'

Former President Donald Trump responded to what he described as "fake charges" brought by the House Jan. 6 Committee during its final public hearing on Monday.

The select committee investigating the riot at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 cannot bring charges against Trump but is issuing criminal referrals to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The select committee invoked four statutes in its criminal referrals for Trump, former Trump attorney John Eastman and others, for those individuals' activities related to the Capitol riot.

Trump posted his response to the select committee's criminal referrals on his Truth Social page.

Read Trump's statement in full below:

"These folks don't get it that when they come after me, people who love freedom rally around me. It strengthens me. What doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Americans know that I pushed for 20,000 troops to prevent violence on Jan 6, and that I went on television and told everyone to go home.

"The people understand that the Democratic Bureau of Investigation, the DBI, are out to keep me from running for president because they know I'll win and that this whole business of prosecuting me is just like impeachment was — a partisan attempt to sideline me and the Republican Party.

"The Fake charges made by the highly partisan Unselect Committee of January 6th have already been submitted, prosecuted, and tried in the form of Impeachment Hoax # 2. I WON convincingly. Double Jeopardy anyone!"

A few minutes after his initial statement, Trump added another:

"Think of it! The Radical Left Democrats (Communists), SPIED on my campaign, lied to the FISA COURT, lied to CONGRESS, allowed an INVASION of our COUNTRY on the Southern Border, EMBARRASSED us in Afghanistan, gave away our Energy Independence, killed us on job losing Regulations, wouldn't use the 10,000 plus soldiers I recommended for Jan 6th, refused to look into Election Fraud-the reason for Jan 6th, Rigged & Stole the 2020 Election, allowed Ballot Stuffing, FBI/Facebook/Twitter & Biden CRIME!"

Then after a brief pause, Trump added another post.

"....continued from previous TRUTH... And I'm the one that the Corrupt and Partisan Unselect Committee goes after. A two tiered "Justice" System ... And, by the way, what ever happened with the Massive number of CRIMES committed by JOE & HUNTER BIDEN? They're right there, documented and 100% certain. Also,where is the prosecutor from Delaware? What happened to him? Is he friends with the Ukrainian Prosecutor who didn't prosecute after Biden held up the $BILLION PAYMENT to Ukraine? I DID NOTHING WRONG!"

McConnell Says 'Entire Nation Knows' Who's Responsible

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell shared a brief response to the House Jan. 6 Committee's final hearing on Monday.

"The entire nation knows who is responsible for that day," McConnell told reporters. "Beyond that, I don't have any immediate observations."

The Kentucky Republican supported Trump for most of his time as president before distancing himself from Trump after the riot at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. During Trump's second impeachment trial in February 2021, McConnell said there was "no question" that Trump was "practically and morally responsible for provoking the events" on January 6.

Trump has in turn criticized McConnell, calling him an "absolute loser" and the Democratic Party's "lapdog," among other nicknames, in statements released through his Save America PAC.

The House select committee said Monday it is recommending the U.S. Department of Justice pursue criminal charges against Trump for his activities on, during and before the Capitol riot.

Dershowitz Says Americans 'Should Ignore' Report

Attorney Alan Dershowitz said Monday that the American people "should ignore" the House January 6 Committee's final report, which is expected to be made public later this week.

The select committee held its final public hearing on Monday, during which committee members discussed the findings of their investigation. They shared legislative recommendations and urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to pursue criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for his activities before, during and after the riot at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

Dershowitz, who defended Trump during his 2020 impeachment trial, appeared on Newsmax Monday afternoon to share his thoughts on the select committee's final hearing and forthcoming report. MAGA War Room, the Twitter account for Trump's Make America Great Again super PAC, later shared video clips of Dershowitz's comments on social media.

"The American public should make no conclusions based on this one-sided recommendation, and it should ignore it as well," Dershowitz said in one clip. "It's worthless. It's a worthless piece of paper."

Dershowitz later said Congress "has no power to recommend prosecution" and said the select committee should be criticized for doing so. The separation of powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution prevents Congress from deciding who should face prosecution, Dershowitz said, and the DOJ thus "should reprimand Congress for even trying to suggest who should be prosecuted."

WH Says Democracy 'Remains Under Threat'

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said American democracy "remains under threat" while responding to questions about the House Jan. 6 Committee's final public hearing, which wrapped up Monday afternoon.

Jean-Pierre did not comment on the specifics of the select committee's hearing, during which committee members voted to approve their final report. The committee said it is recommending within the report that the U.S. Department of Justice pursue criminal charges against former President Donald Trump for his activities before, during and after the riot at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

"We've been very clear from the beginning that what we saw on January 6 was the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War," Jean-Pierre said. "And the president has been very clear: Our democracy continues and remains under threat, and we all have a part to protect it."

She added that the select committee "has been doing important, bipartisan work to get to the truth of what happened on that very day, so we can make sure that doesn't happen again."

Taking steps to protect democracy was a significant focus of President Joe Biden's messaging heading into the midterm elections last month. Biden addressed the issue during an early November speech to the American public, in which he said "democracy itself" is "at stake" because "the defeated former President of the United States refuses to accept the results of the 2020 election." He urged Americans to vote to defend it.

"The fate of the nation, the fate of the soul of America lies where it always does: with the people—in your hands, in your heart, and your ballot," Biden said at the time.

Trump Blasts Cheney After Final Committee Meeting

Former President Donald Trump broke his silence following the final public meeting of the House Select Committee investigating the events leading up to the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

After posting about the Committee in the days leading up to the final meeting, Trump has been relatively silent after the Committee announced four criminal referrals against him.

He did, however, post on his Truth Social account appearing to dismiss the legitimacy of the Committee and its Vice Chair, Trump-critic Rep. Liz Cheney.

At around 3:30 p.m. ET, Trump posted on his Truth Social that Cheney "lost by a record 40 points" in her primary race in the 2022 midterm election.

Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, lost her primary in August to Trump's hand-picked candidate Harriet Hageman. A key component of Cheney's re-election campaign was standing up to the former president.

Trump promoted her defeat as a "complete rebuke" of the House Select Committee and celebrated on Truth Social that she can "finally disappear into the depths of political oblivion where, I am sure, she will be much happier than she is right now."

After the Committee wrapped its investigation Monday afternoon, Trump's MAGA War Room shared a video showing pundits and news anchors on television being critical of the Jan. 6 hearing, arguing that, "not even the corporate media is buying into their lies."

"The January 6th Committee has been nothing more than a witch hunt and a show trial," the MAGA War Room tweeted.

House GOP to Release 'Rebuttal' Report

House Republicans are planning to release a counter report following the publication of the final report from the House Select Committee investigating Jan. 6., 2021.

The five GOP House members Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy chose to be on the Committee will release a report of more than 100 pages as a "rebuttal" to the Committee's report that is set to be released later this week, according to NBC News.

Those Republicans include Representatives Jim Banks of Indiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Rodney Davis of Illinois, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota and Troy Nehls of Texas.

A senior GOP aide told CNN that the House Republicans will wait for the Committee to release its final report after today's meeting but are prepared to release theirs soon after.

The aide said the report will focus on why the U.S. Capitol was "so unprepared" when the riot broke out on Jan. 6, 2021 and how to ensure it won't happen again.

Four Committee Members Will Not Return to Congress Next Year

Nearly half of the House Jan. 6 Committee will not be part of the new Congress that begins in January 2023.

Four of the members of the nine-person Committee will end their time in the House as the Committee closes its final meeting.

Republican Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Democratic Representative Elaine Luria of Virginia both lost their midterm races this fall.

Cheney has been one of the leading Republican voices against former President Donald Trump. She lost her primary race in August but told NBC's Today Show that she is thinking about a White House bid.

"I believe that Donald Trump continues to pose a very grave threat and risk to our republic. And I think that defeating him is going to require a broad and united front of Republicans, Democrats and independents, and that's what I intend to be a part of," Cheney said.

Luria was first elected to Congress in 2018 but lost her re-election bid in November to Republican Jen Kiggans. As a Committee member, she made Jan. 6 and the battle for democracy a key part of her re-election campaign.

Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois announced his retirement as his district was remapped last year.

Kinzinger is a Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran who has served in Congress since 2011. He was one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Donald Trump following the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Democratic Representative Stephanie Murphy of Florida also decided not to run for re-election in the 2022 midterms.

Murphy, the first Vietnamese-American woman elected to Congress, has held her seat since 2016. She announced her retirement last year, saying "As a mom of two young children, my time away from them has been hard."

MTG Calls Panel a 'Communist Committee'

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia responded to the House Jan. 6 Committee's final public hearing in a series of tweets on Monday, in which she referred to the panel as a "communist committee."

Greene, an ally of former President Donald Trump's, criticized the committee for issuing criminal referrals against Trump to the U.S. Department of Justice.

"Do you know what happens in communist countries? They steal elections," Greene said in one Twitter thread. "Then those that hold power abuse it. They weaponize the government against their political enemies and the people who support them. They control all communications in order to control the information and the masses of people who unknowingly believe their lies."

Greene went on to say "communist" nations "conduct fake trials and create fake charges" before placing political opponents behind bars.

"Welcome to America," she added.

In another tweet, Greene shared recent polling that suggested Trump has significant support among Republican primary voters. Trump announced last month that he intends on running for president again in 2024.

"Here is the real reason the J6 communist committee is making criminal referrals to the DOJ on Trump," she wrote. "They can't beat President Trump and they know it. January is coming."

Trump Spokesperson, Don Jr., Respond to Final Hearing

While former President Donald Trump has yet to publicly react to Monday's final House Jan. 6 Committee hearing, his former spokesperson and son responded on social media.

Taylor Budowich, former Trump spokesperson and current head of the MAGA Inc. super PAC, tweeted a response to the "sham" House Jan. 6 Committee.

Budowich said the "unselect committee" is adjourning "not because the investigation reached any valid legal conclusion, but because Democrats were voted out of power by the American people."

The committee launched more than a year ago while Democrats had control of the U.S. House of Representatives. It is now winding down its activities ahead of the swearing in of the new Congress, which will next be led by a Republican majority following the 2022 midterm elections.

"Thankfully, this marks the end of the reign of Pelosi and the Democrats—good riddance!" his tweet added.

Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., predicted how the media will react to the final hearing. In a post on Twitter responding to a tweet that contrasted the select committee's investigation with the Twitter Files, Trump Jr. wrote, "And the media will obsess over one of these things and ignore the other."

Representatives Who Ignored Subpoenas Referred to Ethics Committee

In addition to the criminal referrals against former President Donald Trump and his allies, the House Jan. 6 Committee is also taking action against members of Congress who refused to cooperate with their investigation.

Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland said four Republican members of Congress will be referred to the House Ethics Committee for failing to comply with the Committee's subpoenas.

Those members include Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Representatives Jim Jordan, Scott Perry and Andy Biggs.

"As part of our investigation, we asked multiple members of Congress to speak with us about issues critical to our understanding of this attack on the 2020 election and our system of constitutional democracy," Raskin said. "None agreed to provide that essential information."

The Committee then issued subpoenas to obtain information about Trump's plans to overturn the election, but "none of the subpoenaed members complied," Raskin said.

Those four members of Congress have been referred to the House Ethics Committee for "appropriate sanctions."

WATCH: Raskin Reads Criminal Referrals

Moments ago, the House Jan. 6 Committee announced its criminal referrals against former President Donald Trump.

Democratic Committee member Jamie Raskin of Maryland read the recommendations, watch below:

Committee Unanimously Approves Final Report

The House Jan. 6 Committee unanimously voted to approve its final report during its last public hearing on Monday.

Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia called for a recorded vote at the conclusion of the hearing. Her motion was for the committee to share their findings, which include "legislative recommendations and criminal referrals" for former President Donald Trump, with the full U.S. House of Representatives.

All nine members of the select committee voted to approve their final report. House Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson said earlier Monday that he expects the report to be made publicly available "later this week."

Committee Makes Criminal Referrals Against Trump

The House Select Committee announced its criminal referrals against former President Donald Trump for his actions related to the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Representative Jaime Raskin said the severity of the actual harm and the centrality of the offender compel the committee to make these referrals.

Obstruction of an Official Proceeding: This applies to individuals who corruptly obstruct, influence or impede an official proceeding of the federal government.

Raskin said the Committee has enough evidence to issue criminal referrals for Trump, John Eastman and other unspecified individuals. He said the purpose of Trump's "scheme" was to obstruct and influence the lawful transfer of power.

Conspiracy to Defraud the United States: This applies to individuals who conspire to either commit any offense against the United States or to defraud the United States.

Raskin said this applies to Trump, as well as a list of his co-conspirators, who attempted to defeat the certification of Joe Biden's victory. Those co-conspirators will be detailed in the Committee's final report.

Conspiracy to Make a False Statement: This applies to individuals who "in any matter within the jurisdiction of the United States" makes any materially false, fictious or fraudulent statement.

Raskin said there is "more than enough sufficient evidence" to make a criminal referral for Trump and others on this count.

Incite, Assist or Aid or Comfort an Insurrection: This applies to any individual who incites, assists or engages in any rebellion or insurrection "or gives aid or comfort thereto."

Raskin called this a "grave federal offense" and made a referral against Trump.

He concluded by noting there may be other relevant statutes and can trigger other criminal violations.

"We understand the gravity of each and every referral we are making today.,, just as we understand the magnitude of the crime against democracy we describe in our Report," Raskin said. "But we have gone where the facts and the law lead us, and inescapably they lead us here."

Trump Tweet Promoted 'Big Protest' 2 Years Ago

The House Jan. 6 Committee recalled a tweet former President Donald Trump posted two years ago to the day in which he promoted a "big protest" that was to take place in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021.

Select committee member Rep. Stephanie Murphy of Florida introduced the tweet in her opening remarks at Monday's public hearing. The select committee shared a screenshot of the tweet, which mentioned a report on alleged election fraud by Peter Navarro, a former assistant to Trump.

"A great report by Peter. Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election," Trump's tweet said. "Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!"

The tweet was dated December 19, 2020, less than three weeks before the riot that followed at the U.S. Capitol Building.

Witnesses Offered Jobs, Money by Trump Lawyers

The Jan. 6 Committee said it found that some of the money Donald Trump raised after the 2020 election was used to hire lawyers and "provide and offer employment to witnesses."

Representative Zoe Lofgren of California said the Committee found that Trump raised "hundreds of millions of dollars with false representations made to his online donors" after claiming the 2020 election was stolen from him.

"Trump knowingly and corruptly repeated election fraud lies, which incited his supporters to violence on January 6th," Lofgren said. "He continues to repeat his meritless claim that the election was stolen even today."

She said that money funded lawyers hired by the Trump team who reached out to witnesses who gave testimony to the Committee, offering employment or financial benefit. The offers didn't pan out post-testimony, Lofgren added.

"We've learned that a client was offered potential employment that would make her 'financially very comfortable' as the date of her testimony approached by entities that were linked to Donald Trump and his associates," she said.

Lofgren said the lawyer suggested to one witness that she "could, in certain circumstances, tell the committee that she didn't recall facts when she actually did recall them."

"We are concerned these efforts may have been a strategy to prevent the committee from finding the truth," she said.

The Committee played a video featuring Trump aide Hope Hicks testifying that she was "becoming increasingly concerned that we were damaging his legacy." Hicks said Trump told her no one would care about his legacy if he lost the election.

"The only thing that matters is winning," Hicks recalls Trump said.

Video Shows 'Key Evidence'

House Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson introduced a video at the start of the select committee's final hearing that he said compiles some of the "key evidence our investigation has uncovered" over the course of its investigation.

Thompson said the select committee's final report is expected to be released to the public "later this week." The final report follows 10 public hearings the committee has held over the last several months, during which committee members presented testimony from law enforcement officials, former senior White House officials, people who worked with former President Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign, and more.

Before the select committee shares the collection of conclusions it reached in its final report, Thompson said it is "important" to recall "what we've learned" about what occurred on the day of the riot at the U.S. Capitol Building.

He then introduced the video, which included clips filmed outside the Capitol on the day of the riot and testimony from law enforcement officers, former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, former general counsel for the Trump campaign, and more.

Also included in the video were some of the select committee's conclusions, which included: "Trump knew he lost," "Trump pressured state officials to overturn the election" and "Trump pressured the Department of Justice to overturn the election."

Cheney Calls Trump's Inaction 'Unlawful'

Republican Representative and Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney of Wyoming discussed the importance of the peaceful transfer of power to our democracy.

"Every president in our history has defended this orderly transfer of authority -- except one," she said, referencing Donald Trump. "January 6, 2021 was the first time an American president refused his constitutional duty to transfer power peacefully to the next."

She said this Committee has an obligation to ensure that never happens again and reiterated one of "the most shameful" findings from the Committee's investigation.

"Among the most shameful of this committee's findings was that President Trump sat in the dining room off the Oval Office watching the violent riot at the Capitol on television," Cheney said. "For hours, he would not issue a public statement instructing his supporters to disperse."

Despite pleas from staff and family members to say something, Cheney said Trump said nothing for hours.

Cheney said this was not just "unlawful," but an "utter moral failure" and a "clear dereliction of duty."

She added that faith in elections and adherence to the peaceful transfer of power are "paramount" to preserving democracy and upholding the values of our institutions.

"No man who ever behaved that way at that moment in time should ever serve in public office again," Cheney said. "He is unfit for office."

Final Report Coming Later This Week

House Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson outlined what Americans can expect from the select committee's final public hearing, which is now underway.

During his opening remarks at the start of the hearing, Thompson said some deposition material related to Monday's hearing will soon be released. The "bulk" of non-sensitive records collected over the course of the select committee's investigation will be released to the public "before the end of the year," he said.

As for the select committee's final report, Thompson said he expected it to be filed with the House clerk and made publicly available "later this week."

Before the release of that final report, the select committee intends on presenting some of its key findings and explaining to the American public "how it fits in our broader conclusions."

"Those conclusions have helped shape the committee's final report, which we'll adopt today," Thompson said.

Final Hearing Begins

The final public hearing of the House Jan. 6 Committee is now underway.

Members of the select committee are expected to hold a vote on the final report resulting from their investigation into the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. They are also expected to issue recommendations to the U.S. Department of Justice regarding which charges they believe should be brought against former President Donald Trump for his activities on the day of the riot.

Pence Hopes DOJ Won't Charge Trump

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Monday he "would hope" that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) would ultimately decide against charging former President Donald Trump for his activities on the day of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

Pence appeared on Fox News' America's Newsroom Monday morning, hours before the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot is due to hold its final hearing. The select committee is expected to recommend charges to the DOJ based on the findings of the committee's investigation, which has been going on for more than a year.

When asked about the select committee's anticipated final report, Pence described the day of the riot as "tragic" but said after law enforcement helped stifle the violence, he and other lawmakers "reconvened the same day and finished our work under the Constitution of the United States."

Pence said he has "been disappointed" in what he described as "the partisan nature of the select committee on Capitol Hill."

"This select committee from the very beginning has represented kind of a partisan taint that, I think it's one of the reasons why so few Americans are paying much attention to what'll happen today or to the results or recommendations of this committee," he said.

Rep. Adam Schiff of California has said he thinks the committee has "sufficient evidence" for charges to be brought against Trump. America's Newsroom host Bill Hemmer pointed to Schiff's comments and asked Pence whether he believes there should be a criminal case against the former president for his activities on the day of the riot.

Pence began responding to the question by saying Schiff made similar comments about earlier investigations into Trump's alleged ties to Russian election interference. He then said members of Congress have "no formal role" in deciding which charges the DOJ ultimately will or will not bring.

"So they can make recommendations today, but when it comes to the Justice Department's decision about bringing charges in the future, I would hope that they would not bring charges against the former president," Pence said.

"Look, as I wrote in my book, I think the president's actions and words on January 6 were reckless," he continued. "But I don't know that it's criminal to take bad advice from lawyers. And so I hope the Justice Department is careful."

He later added that it is also his "hope" that the DOJ "understands the magnitude, the very idea, of indicting a former president of the United States."

"I think that would be terribly divisive in the country at a time when the American people want to see us heal," he said.

Final Committee Meeting to Begin Soon

The final meeting of the House Select Committee investigating Jan. 6 is scheduled to begin in less than 45 minutes.

The Committee will hold a "business meeting" Monday afternoon, two months after their last hearing in October.

Unlike other hearings, the Committee is not expected to present new evidence or hear from a panel of witnesses. The Committee is expected to vote on their final report and announce criminal referrals against former President Donald Trump/

The meeting will stream live at 1 p.m. ET on the Committee's website or watch below:

Jury Selection Begins for Proud Boys Leader

Jury selection starts on Monday for the leader of the Proud Boys and four other members of the far-right group, all of whom are facing sedition charges linked to the riot at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

Jury selection for former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio and the four other Proud Boys members— Joseph Biggs, Ethan Nordean, Dominic Pezzola and Zachary Rehl—will take place in Washington, D.C., as the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot holds its final hearing.

The five Proud Boys members are accused of planning the attack and could face as many as 20 years behind bars if they are found guilty of sedition, though there are also other charges pending against each individual, according to the Associated Press.

Tarrio was not physically present at the Capitol the day of the riot but is alleged to have urged participants to continue the attack on social media, and later allegedly claimed credit for the riot. Court documents reviewed by AP reportedly showed that Tarrio and other Proud Boys members were discussing the anticipated riot days before it occurred and planned to "push thru police lines" in order to gain access to the Capitol Building.

Prosecutors have alleged that the four other Proud Boys members facing jury selection on Monday were among the first individuals to successfully make it past the police lines present at the Capitol that day and also helped break into the building.

Last month, the founder of another far-right group known as the Oath Keepers was found guilty of seditious conspiracy charges related to the attack on the Capitol. U.S. Department of Justice data shows more than 900 people have thus far been charged in connection with the riot.

Schiff Says There is 'Sufficient Evidence' to Charge Trump

Democratic Representative Adam Schiff of California said the Jan. 6 Committee has evidence that former President Donald Trump committed "criminal offenses in connection to his effort to overturn the 2020 election."

The House Committee member told CNN's State of the Union Sunday that, as a former prosecutor, he believes there is "sufficient" evidence to charge the former president. He said Trump tried to pressure state officials to "find votes that didn't exist," tried to interfere with the joint session and "incited a mob to attack the Capitol."

"If that's not criminal, then I don't know what is," he said.

Monday, the Committee is expected to announce criminal referrals against Trump and his allies to the Department of Justice, which will ultimately make the decision whether to charge Trump or not.

Schiff told MSNBC's Morning Joe that it has been a "painstaking effort" to put together the Committee's final report, as they assimilate the evidence they found that Trump and other tired to overturn the 2020 presidential election into a "comprehensive form."

He said the vote on the final report and the criminal referrals is the "expression of Congress and its belief that our democracy was attacked, that these were the people responsible, that these are potential violations of law that we think are sufficient evidence to make that referral," adding that the Justice Department will then give that report "the weight it deserves."

While the Committee has conducted additional interview since its last hearing in October, Schiff said no new evidence will be presented Monday. He said the public has already seen "the major though line" presented in the previous hearings.

While the published report will "only be a fraction of the evidence" the Committee collected, Schiff said it will contain "quite voluminous exhibits," including transcripts of interviews.

"As we've seen in the Trump presidency and the years since—it doesn't matter how many smoking guns you produce, there's an insatiable demand for a new smoking gun," he added. "We shouldn't lose sight of what's already been presented."

Schiff said the goal of the Jan. 6 Committee is not only to conduct oversight and expose the facts "to the public glare," but also to bring about reforms needed to address the deficiencies that made us so vulnerable on [Jan. 6, 2021.]"

He said the Committee will be making recommendations for those "common sense" legislative reforms that won't be able to become law before Congress begins its new session with a Republican-led House of Representatives.

Schiff said it will be difficult to implement these necessary changes, as people who voted to overturn the 2020 election will be "running the House of Representatives."

"I'm deeply concerned about it. I think in these hearing we showed just how close we came to losing our democracy but we're not out of the woods," he said, adding that the new House leadership will be more concerned with Hunter Biden's laptop.

Trump Accuses Committee of Illegally Leaking Information

Former President Donald Trump continues to dismiss the House Select Committee investigating his role in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

On his Truth Social account, Trump called the members of the "Unselect Committee" criminals, misfits and thugs, as they prepare to recommend criminal charges to the "corrupt" Justice Department.

On the morning of January 6, 2021, Trump said he made his speech "peacefully and patriotically," calling it "mild and loving." Trump believes Congress should have looked into the "massive election fraud" instead of his actions.

"Why didn't they investigate massive Election Fraud or send in the Troops?" he asked. "SCAM!"

Trump said the Committee is comprised of "political hacks" and "corrupt cowards who hate our country." He also accused the "highly partisan" Committee of illegally leaking information "to anyone that will listen."

This is in reference to comments Democratic Committee member Rep. Adam Schiff of California made on television over the weekend about the criminal referrals the Committee is expected to make. Trump said Schiff's comments are "just like he was on the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, which turned out to be the con of the century."

"How much longer are Republicans, and American Patriots in general, going to allow this to happen," Trump wrote. "These are the Criminals who spied on my campaign, cheated on the Election, lied to FISA Court & Congress. They are SICK!"

Criminal Referrals Against Trump Expected

The House Jan. 6 Committee will hold its final meeting Monday, wrapping up its investigation into the riots at the U.S. Capitol that began over a year ago.

The Committee, comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans, is excepted to vote on its final report this afternoon. The panel is also expected to announce criminal referrals against former President Donald Trump and his allies for their role in the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and incite the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

These referrals are largely symbolic, as it will be up to the Justice Department to decide whether to prosecute Trump and others.

Democratic Committee member Adam Schiff of California believesTrump has "violated multiple criminal laws" and should be prosecuted.

"This is someone who in multiple ways tried to pressure state officials to find votes that didn't exist, this is someone who tried to interfere with a joint session, even inciting a mob to attack the Capitol," Schiff told CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday. "If that's not criminal, then I don't know what it is."

The Committee may also make ethics referrals for five House Republicans, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who ignored Congressional subpoenas to speak to the panel.

Unlike the previous 10 hearings, the Committee is not expected to hear from panel of witness or present new evidence. Today is a "business meeting" for the Committee that will summarize their entire investigation before the final report is publicly released.

This final report will include the Committee's findings, interview transcripts and legislative recommendations.

The Committee will dissolve on Jan. 3, 2023 as Republicans take over the majority in the House of Representatives.

"We obviously want to complete the story for the American people," Democratic Committee member Jamie Raskin of Maryland said. "Everybody has come on a journey with us and we want a satisfactory conclusion, such that people feel that Congress has done its job."