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WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 12: Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) talks to reporters follow a House Republican conference meeting in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center on May 12, 2021 in Washington, DC. GOP members decided to remove Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) from her leadership position after she become a target for former President Donald Trump and his followers in the House as she has continually expressed the need for the Republican Party to separate themselves from Trump over his role in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, one of the two Republicans on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, said that the public would get an idea if Donald Trump broke the law once their investigation is completed.
According to reports, Trump could be charged with a crime if proven guilty of inciting or participating in the Capitol riot.
Donald Trump could face criminal charges
Kinzinger said that he still couldn't decide whether the ex-POTUS should be charged with a crime because investigations are still underway.
"We'll be able to, you know, have out on the public record anything Justice Department needs may be in pursuit of that. Nobody is above the law. And if the president knowingly allowed what happened on Jan. 6 to happen, and in fact was giddy about it, and that violates a criminal statute, he needs to be held accountable for that," he said via the Huffington Post.
Trump wanted to get rid of electoral votes
Last week, Rep. Liz Cheney said that it's possible Trump could've acted criminally. She said that more information would be released through Mark Meadows' testimony because the former chief of staff's statements would determine whether the ex-president sought to obstruct or impede the counting of the electoral votes.
Some information from the documents that Meadows submitted revealed that Trump and his Republican allies urged former Vice President Mike Pence to cancel all electoral votes in favor of Joe Biden.
However, Pence did not follow their orders because he knew that there was no reason to cancel the electoral votes. After all, it was evident that Trump lost to Biden very early on.
Mark Meadows could be held in criminal contempt
Last week, Meadows was already held in criminal contempt for refusing to participate in the ongoing investigations. His lawyer said that Meadows had already submitted his phone records to the House select committee, but the latter insists that he should still be available for interviews.
According to USA Today, Meadows is the second former Trump aide to face charges. Weeks ago, political strategist Steve Bannon was also held in criminal contempt.
Joe Biden said that he supports the House's decision even though he has not seen the text messages from Donald Trump Jr. and other Trump supporters urging him to stop the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Other than his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, there are also ongoing investigations regarding Trump's business practices.
Donald Trump, Trump Organization could face criminal charges
Last week, US News claimed that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. could bring forth criminal charges against Trump before he retires at the end of the month.
However, it is also possible for Vance Jr. to pass the challenging task of charging the ex-POTUS to his successor, District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
When asked to comment on the Trump investigation, Vance Jr. said he can't say anything about it because it's still ongoing.
Vance Jr. charged the Trump Organization and its executives with tax fraud in June. He recently convened a new grand jury to bring a fresh indictment to Trump and his organization.
Related Article: Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan's Text Prior to the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Released; Republican Urges Mike Pence To Nullify Joe Biden's Win
