Representative Liz Cheney (R-Wyo), the vice-chair of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, recently raised some eyebrows with this question: “Did Donald Trump, through action or inaction, corruptly seek to obstruct or impede Congress’s official proceeding to count electoral votes?” The language of Cheney’s question tracks that of the obstruction of justice statute prosecutors have used to charge more than 200 Capitol rioters. Her suggestion that Trump’s failure to act might make him guilty of obstruction was particularly intriguing.
In a subsequent interview with the Washington Post, Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss) expanded on the idea of Trump’s criminal liability based on his inaction. Thompson said the committee was exploring why, once the assault on the Capitol began, it took Trump more than three hours to ask his supporters to stand down. He said Trump’s “dereliction of duty” in failing to try to stop the riot could be a factor in whether the committee refers possible criminal charges against Trump to the Department of Justice.
These comments have led to some debate over whether Trump’s inaction during the riot, standing alone, could be a crime. I think the answer is: maybe. But it would be a novel and controversial criminal theory. The Department of Justice is unlikely to rely upon such a theory for something as consequential as the prosecution of a former president.
In any event, the theory is unnecessary. As I’ll discuss at the end of this post, there are plenty of potential crimes to investigate based on Trump’s actions, rather than his inaction. Trump’s failure to try to stop the riot best serves not as a stand-alone crime but as evidence of his intent for other potential charges.
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