WASHINGTON – The federal prosecutor who oversaw the Justice Department’s investigation of the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill says the evidence likely supports the sedition charges against some of the protesters.
“Personally, I believe the evidence points to this and is likely to meet those elements,” said Michael Sherwin, the former District Attorney General of Columbia, in an interview with Scott Pelley of CBS News, which aired on Sunday in “60 Minutes”.
Asked if he expects charges of sedition to be made against some of the suspects, Sherwin said: “I believe the facts support these charges and I think that, as we move forward, more facts will support this, Scott. This will be a long-term investigation. “
Sherwin made similar comments in late January, when he told reporters, “We are closely examining the evidence related to the sedition charges.”
Accusations of sedition, involving conspiracy to overthrow the government or hinder federal law enforcement, are rare, with one of the last cases in 2010 when federal prosecutors accused members of a Michigan militia of conspiring to provoke an armed conflict with the government. .
Sherwin joined policemen at President Donald Trump’s rally on January 6 in downtown Washington and watched his supporters, many wearing tactical gear, leaving early and heading for the Capitol. He said he knew the situation was getting out of hand when he saw people starting to climb the scaffolding outside the Capitol.
Sherwin, who will soon return to the United States attorney general’s office in Miami, said 400 people have already been indicted in the riot, most of the cases involving federal criminal charges ranging from 5 to 20 years. The Justice Department is now trying to determine whether there was a premeditated plan to violate the Capitol, he said.
Sherwin also said that it is “unequivocal that Trump was the magnet that brought people to DC” on January 6, “everything is being scrutinized” when asked whether investigators are examining the former president’s role in the events leading up to the attack.
“Now the question is, is he criminally guilty for everything that happened during the siege during the rape?” said Sherwin, noting that many people said they came to DC because Trump told them to take the House back. This fact “moves the needle in that direction,” he said. “Perhaps the president is to blame for these actions.”
