Adam Schiff claims ‘sufficient evidence’ to criminally charge Trump over Capitol riot case

California Congressman Adam Schiff said that he believed that there is “sufficient evidence” to charge former US President Donald Trump criminally in relation to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Schiff's statement on CNN’s State of the Union was made just a day before the House's January 6 select committee, reported the Guardian. The committee would release an extensive investigative report on the US Capitol attack that has caused 9 deaths, including the suicides of traumatised law enforcement officers. 

On asking if Trump should or should not face criminal charges, Schiff replied, “The short answer is, I don’t know. I think that he should. I think he should face the same remedy, force of law that anyone else would.”

The committee has been expected to refer former US President Trump and others to the US justice department and would be having its last meeting on Monday. During this final meeting, the panel would be working on an executive summary of its findings, propose legislative recommendations, vote to adopt the report, and then vote on possible criminal and civil referrals. Adam Schiff is among the nine members who would be serving on January 6 committee. The discussion would involve the obstruction of an official congressional proceeding as well as conspiracy to defraud the United States and would involve potential referrals including Donald Trump, reported the Guardian. 

US Capitol Attack Committee's last meeting 

While talking to the CNN host Jake Tapper on the US Capitol attack, Schiff said that he “can’t comment” on the details of possible referrals. 

“I think that the evidence is there that Trump committed criminal offenses in connection with his efforts to overturn the election. And viewing it as a former prosecutor, I think there’s sufficient evidence to charge the (former) president," The Gaurdian quoted Schiff as saying.

Further, at the interview when Schiff was asked whether this was enough to secure a conviction. He responded, "Well, I don’t know what the justice department has. I do know what’s in the public record. The evidence seems pretty plain to me, but I would want to see the full body of evidence, if I were in the prosecutor’s shoes, to make a decision.”

Further, he said, "This is someone who has tried to pressurise state officials to find votes that didn’t exist multiple times. This is someone who has interfered in a joint session and had incited people to attack the Capitol. If that’s not criminal, then – then I don’t know what it is."