Nancy Pelosi pushes for prosecution of US Congress members involved in Capitol Hill siege

United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned on Friday that Congress members may face prosecution if any evidence is found of their involvement in last week's Capitol siege. This comes after some House Democrats have said that people on the inside, such as Congress members and police officers, may have helped perpetrate the attack.

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'There may have to be actions taken beyond the Congress'

In a news conference, Pelosi said, "If, in fact, it is found that members of Congress were accomplices to this insurrection, if they aided and abetted the crime, there may have to be actions taken beyond the Congress in terms of prosecution for that."

Over 30 House Democrats have asked the acting House and Senate sergeants-at-arms and the acting head of the Capitol Police for information about who was in the building on January 5. 

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On January 14, Pelosi had said that Donald Trump's impeachment confirmed that "no one is above the law" after he became the first American President to be impeached twice during his tenure. Following a bipartisan vote, the 74-year-old was impeached for "incitement of insurrection". This came after the Democrats accused Trump of inciting violence as his supporters stormed inside US Capitol building violently last week. 

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Earlier, Following the Capitol siege, the US House Speaker had pushed for evoking the 25th Amendment against POTUS. Pelosi weighed in for a Democratic effort to impeach the 45th President, saying that the “dangerous person should not continue in office.” She called on the US Vice President Mike Pence to initiate Trump’s removal, citing, that Trump was a seditious threat to the country and his dismissal was more integral than ever to uphold American democracy and fair electoral transition. “This is an emergency of the highest magnitude," US House Speaker had asserted. Lawmakers at both sides of the aisle held Trump responsible for the Capitol building insurrection.

On January 6 afternoon, thousands of Trump supporters broke barricades outside Capitol Hill and marched into the building, scaling walls using scaffolding and breaking windows to gain entry. Inside, rioters tried to push through doors, fought with police, and generally invaded and defiled the premises. As per reports, at least five people lost their lives including a police officer. 

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Nancy Pelosi warns of prosecution of Congress members if any proof of involvement found