“What is going on with the January 6 committee?” I’ve been impatiently wondering about that for months. Why is the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol moving slow as molasses? When will the Committee hold public hearings? Is the Committee risking not finishing its work before the end of 2022?
More simply put, because almost 14 months have passed since Trump lost the 2020 election and more than a year since his followers marched to the Capitol with orders to prevent the certification of Biden’s win, I am worried that Trump once again will not be held accountable. Last Thursday, Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD), a member of the Select Committee, offered a dramatic answer to my questions on a Zoom call before the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. Raskin thinks Trump’s luck is about to run out.
As most Marylanders know, Raskin is a constitutional lawyer representing the 8th Congressional District, the D.C. suburbs. Raskin told the Zoom-call participants that the upcoming hearings will be a “game changer for American history.”
Said Raskin: “We are going to do everything we can to subpoena all the information we need and to enforce our subpoenas. But even if we don’t get every last person in there, we are going to have hearings that I believe will be compared to the Watergate hearings, because they are going to blow the roof off the House in terms of explaining to America what actually happened in the attack on our democracy.”
Those of us who were around for the 1973 Watergate hearings recall that the hearings led to Richard Nixon’s resignation. After hearing evidence of Nixon’s involvement with the Watergate break-in and other efforts to undermine the Democratic party, a critical mass of Hill Republicans urged Nixon to resign.
It’s unclear whether today’s Congressional Republicans will respond to hard evidence of sedition and other Trump crimes. (Don’t hold your breath for our own Andy Harris to break ranks with Trump. If Trump were to shoot someone on Washington Street in Easton, I would expect “Handgun” Harris to find a way to blame the Democrats.)
Jamie Raskin, like many of us, has had it with Trump. We are sick of hearing “the Big Lie,” and abhor Trumpism. His examination of the evidence of Trump’s activities led him to offer this assessment of the former president: “The guy’s a walking crime wave, and he has committed crimes all over the country, including sexual harassment and assault on a lot of people. There’s bank fraud and there’s real estate fraud and there’s tax fraud. And there are prosecutors all over the country, looking at all that stuff. I don’t want us to fetishize Donald Trump that much — he will meet you know, his maker, one place or another, there will be accountability and a reckoning with the law.”
A video of the discussion is on Facebook.
Raskin did not specify what he expects the January 6 Committee will find. It is premature to make specific predictions on what the committee’s hearings will disclose. With that caveat, here are a few guesses based on what I’ve been reading:
Details documenting President Trump’s direct involvement in the planning, funding, and execution of the January 6 insurrection.
Proof of direct involvement of several members of Congress in facilitating the January 6 attack. (I don’t expect Dr. Harris to be among the group.)
Documentation that the organizers of the attack, including White House officials, saw the attack as an attempted coup. Evidence is likely to include multiple email communications and proof that the organizers stockpiled weapons to use for even more violence had the January 6 effort been successful.
Proof that several Fox News personalities had advanced knowledge of the January 6 attack and discussed it with Trump and key White House and Trump advisors.
Full documentation of who paid the insurrectionists’ expenses.
Documentation on what Trump planned to do to solidify his hold on presidential power had the coup been successful.
The seriousness of the attempted coup is becoming apparent. Did the insurrectionists plan the arrest and possible execution of their adversaries? No evidence of that has surfaced to date, but Congressman Raskin seems to suggest that once the full findings of the committee are released, we will also see Trump and the fragility of democracy in a new light.
If Jamie Raskin is correct in saying that the January 6 committee public hearings will be “must see” TV, the hearings could be a turning point in the effort to hold Trump and his co-conspirators accountable. The Watergate Hearings, including ones featuring another lawyer named John Dean, captured the public’s attention. As Nixon’s guilt and lying became obvious, his public support evaporated. Congressional Republicans abandoned him, with some urging him to resign.
Today’s Congressional Republicans, with few exceptions, have proven less principled, more cowardly, and less patriotic than their predecessors. It remains to be seen whether the revelations that Raskin predicts will come to light will prompt a change in Republican attitudes.
Full disclosure: Although I went to the same law school as John W. Dean, III, received phone calls intended for him from numerous reporters in 1973, I am no relation to “the other John Dean” but still recommend Dean’s Worse Than Watergate, which is about the George W. Bush administration, not Trump’s.
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, birds, and other subjects.
David Lloyd says
Excellent article!!! Must hold our collective breaths in the hopes that enough R’s will acknowledge that the political health and strength of this country relies so heavily on political leaders adhering to the US Constitution. Which should apply to the President, Congressional leaders and members of the United States Supreme Court.
John Dean says
Thank you for your kind words.
Cdp says
Thank you for your comments. I agree with everything you said. I’m old enough to have watched all of the Nixon Watergate proceedings. I believe that truth will prevail, but at the same time, the Republicans have let Trump get away without being held responsible. I am disappointed with the sentences that have been given to the rioters. I am greatly disappointed in the voting block attitude of the republicans. They swore an oath to protect this country etc., and they seem to totally stick to party regardless of the evidence. The two or three that broke ranks in the past won my respect for thinking for themselves. I think the rest are not during their duty. I hope the ones that gave the tour of the Capitol the day before receive life sentences. They are traitors. Wish I had your fine writing skill.
John Dean says
Thank you for your very kind words and insightful comments. Much appreciated.
Paul Rybon says
It’s almost laughable to read Mr Raskins ‘wish’list. If the committee hasn’t discovered any evidence yet, there’s not much likelihood they ever will. Sounds like pure political theater trying to prove that an unarmed hapless mob, abetted by several insider moles,had any other motive than to confront their legislators. Much less actual damage was seen than your every day BLM riot. Sure they were likely misguided and one of them paid the ultimate price but. Insurrection? Come on.
Stephen Schaare says
Hi Paul, You are in BIG trouble. You said “unarmed ” and mentioned “BLM”. Uh-oh!
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece. I believe the January 6 Committee has evidence that would support indicting Trump for sedition. The upcoming hearings would be to present the evidence to the public.
Time will tell if I’m right. Rep. Raskin sounded very confident last Thursday that the evidence has been found.
Carol Voyles says
Evidence means everything, right? We’ll see!
Henry Herr says
You do know that people have been charged with sedition stemming from the Jan 6 insurecction right? Again, as Mr. Schaare alludes to, how can you say people were unarmed when that is just blatantly false?
I hope the committee is able to investigate this fully so that it may never happen again. I hope we can at least agree on that.
Here’s a link for the sedition charges and weapons charges so you don’t have to go looking: https://apnews.com/article/stewart-rhodes-arrested-oath-keepers-jan-6-insurrection-70019e1007132e8df786aaf77215a110
David Tull says
January 6 was a nothing it was manufactured by the FBI and the socialist administration.
Trump had the election stolen from him by the sam socialist.
John Dean says
I’m not sure who the “sam socialist” is, but I have seen no evidence that the election was stolen. Also, the January 6 committee is about the attack on the Capitol, not on the outcome of the 2020 election.
Forgive me if I find it hard to believe that the January 6 attack was “manufactured by the FBI and the socialist administration.” Trump was still president on January 6.
I plan to watch the public hearings of the January 6 committee and I hope you will too.
Willard T Engelskirchen says
It seems nothing will shake trump’s cadre of true believers. See 2 replies below. One has to wonder whether his taped conversations with Bob Woodward can be believed. Or his taped conversation with the GA Sec. of State where he asked for enough votes to carry the state.
What about the forged certificates sent to DC which showed trump carried several states he did not – certificates which were signed by Republican officials.
Hell, trump cheats at golf. Plus his real estate taxes.
John Dean says
Thanks for your comment. I read “Commander in Cheat” about Trump’s golf practices a few years ago. It was an interesting read–Trump openly cheated with no awareness whatsoever that others saw his behavior as pathetic.
I think the NY AG, Letitia James, has Trump’s number. The recently released 114 statement is interesting reading.
Nancy McNary Smith says
Confused: who is Sam Socialist? Another costume-hero like the skins-and-horns guy? Hard to keep these comic book characters straight. (Referring to the Tull letter.)
Dean’s writing, pleasingly, is lucid and to the point.
Deirdre LaMotte says
This amazing man is my hero. After all he has suffered, bless him for being an American patriot, a supporter of
democracy no matter if one is Republican or a Democrat.
What they have on Trump and many others, the truth, will mean nothing to the GOP because one would need a conscience
and honor to be bothered by it. These cultist have neither. No conscience, shame, no capacity for introspection.
When better Nazis are made, American will and has made them. They are limited in their intellect, unfortunately.
If you do not love their strong man, one is a socialist or communist. they are really quite amusing, these simpletons.
Americans who care about this nation, this fragile democracy, need to get off their bums and fight, vote, speak out
and care about our future. And, please, never fear voicing your concerns about this, your “life” depends on it.
John Dean says
As always, thank you for your comment and for reading the piece. I share your respect for Congressman Raskin.
L Baker says
Mr. Dean, I read your commentary just to see how far out there you can reach. This was an especially far reach. I am glad you keep mentioning Trump so he is not forgotten. You will find that it was NOT Trump who was behind the January 6th debacle. He asked Nancy Pelosi to have National Guard on standby due to the mass amounts of people they expected to be in DC that day. She and Congress were the decision makers on police, national guard, and any other safety measures to be put into place. I would think you would KNOW that. You will find out Pelosi, Schumer, Shiff, and other Democrats set it all up. They didn’t have hardly any Capitol Police at the Capitol, and the ones they did were opening doors to some in the crowds, telling them to just be peaceful. ( I have watched the videos). The ones climbing on the buildings (you will learn) were Antifa disguised as Patriots. I know you and your followers do not believe this. You say you want it out on TV, like Watergate. Oh it will be and more, so much will be exposed. I for one am waiting patiently. God Bless America!
Deirdre LaMotte says
Unfortunately for this democracy, there are many of you: susceptible to the twisting of facts by a political party and the outrageous moral transgressions, like lying. These people repeat disinformation without consequences. A republic cannot survive this. It cannot survive a minority of people who live in their depressing world divorced from reality. These people are anarchist, the Qanon and others who were encouraged by many in the GOP to stage a coup.
God Bless those who support democracy!