By Steve Neavling
The Justice Department risks a messy political battle if it decides to pursue charges against former President Trump, Republican lawmakers warned, The Hill reports.
The warning comes as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol could make a case for prosecution.
If the committee recommends charges, GOP lawmakers and strategists say, Trump could become more popular within in the Republican Party, and the Justice Department would be accused of being “politically motivated.”
If the House makes a criminal referral, Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., said it “would probably have as much political taint as you can get.”
“To me, it’s clearly politically driven,” he said.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., added, “Everybody is going to perceive the referral as a conviction on one side and they’re going to view it as the continuation of a witch hunt on the other side. The bar that the House committee has is far lower than anything that would ultimately result in moving forward with a federal investigation and a conviction.”
