Recommendation of the Capitol Committee – “In the worst case, Trump faces imprisonment or a political ban” – News

Former US President Donald Trump is to be prosecuted. The committee of inquiry into the storming of the US Capitol recommends this to the US Department of Justice. SRF correspondent in Washington, Barbara Colpi classifies.

Barbara Colpi

USA correspondent, SRF


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Barbara Colpi has been reporting from the United States as a correspondent for Radio SRF and News Digital since July 2022. She has been with Radio SRF since 2005 and began as an editor in the sports department, where she became deputy manager in 2008. In the spring of 2016, the graduate social anthropologist moved to Lausanne to take up the post of correspondent.

SRF News: The responsible committee recommends indicting Donald Trump. How is that to be assessed?

Barbara Colpi: The Department of Justice must now react. Even if the recommendations are not binding, they have a strong signal effect. And the Department of Justice must have good reasons for not opening an investigation.

The Justice Department is under pressure from the panel’s recommendation, especially since millions of people watched the ten public hearings on television.

It has access to material and can itself question other witnesses. The Justice Department is also under pressure from this unanimous recommendation from the panel, especially since millions of people watched the ten public hearings on television. However, the Justice Department alone can decide whether to open a legal process that could result in Donald Trump being indicted. In the worst case, if convicted, he could face imprisonment or even a political ban.

Donald Trump has already announced that he wants to run for president again in 2024. What does that mean for his candidacy?

Nothing will change for now. But although Donald Trump still has a lot of support in the party, critical voices are getting louder and louder. Not least because the candidates supported by Trump lost important key races in the midterm elections just over a month ago. In addition, the possible criminal investigation in connection with the storming of the Capitol is not Donald Trump’s only legal problem.

There is also an indictment related to classified documents found at Donald Trump’s Florida home over the summer.

A special prosecutor has been appointed and an indictment is also pending in connection with classified documents found at Donald Trump’s Florida home over the summer. This means that Donald Trump’s chances of even clearing the first hurdle, namely being nominated as the official Republican candidate, are falling overall. Two new polls show that a majority of Republicans now prefer Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as their candidate. However, one should not write Donald Trump off.

Vera Deragisch conducted the conversation.

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