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Donald Trump (left) and Peter Navarro (right/on January 23, 2017)
Photo: Kevin Lamarque/ REUTERS
The investigative committee into the storming of the US Capitol wants to bring two prominent advisers to then-President Donald Trump to court.
The committee unanimously adopted a report Monday night (local time) finding disregard for Congress by Trump's former trade adviser Peter Navarro and his then-social media chief Dan Scavino.
In a next step, the House of Representatives, dominated by US President Joe Biden's Democrats, must agree to refer the case to the Justice Department.
The authority could then open criminal proceedings.
Almost two months after Trump's election defeat, his supporters stormed the seat of Congress in Washington on January 6, 2021 after the Republican gave an inciting speech.
They wanted to prevent confirmation of Democrat Joe Biden's victory.
The attack killed five people and injured dozens.
The attack on the heart of US democracy shook the country.
Trump claims to this day that he was deprived of victory by electoral fraud.
His camp has failed with dozens of lawsuits against the election results.
The focus of the committee is, among other things, the question of whether Trump and his immediate environment incited the crowd to the excess of violence.
Democratic committee chair Bennie Thompson said Monday night that Navarro and Scavino have an obligation to cooperate with the committee in the investigation.
“You refused to do that.
And that's a criminal offence."
Republican vice chair of the investigative body Liz Cheney said, "Mr. Scavino worked directly with President Trump to spread his false message that the election was stolen." Navarro is also a key witness.
Constant attacks from within their own ranks
Cheney said the committee has now interviewed hundreds of witnesses, including more than a dozen former Trump administration employees.
The MPs learned that Trump and his team had been repeatedly warned that their efforts to overturn the election results would violate the Constitution.
Of the nine members on the committee, seven are Democrats and just two Republicans, both of whom are outspoken Trump critics.
Because of this, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger repeatedly have to defend themselves against fierce attacks from within their own party.
jok/dpa