{"id":1782288,"date":"2022-12-21T06:07:10","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T11:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1782288"},"modified":"2022-12-21T07:04:10","modified_gmt":"2022-12-21T12:04:10","slug":"alan-dershowitz-jan-6-panels-criminal-referral-of-trump-clearly-unconstitutional-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alan-dershowitz-jan-6-panels-criminal-referral-of-trump-clearly-unconstitutional-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Alan Dershowitz: Jan 6 Panel\u2019s Criminal Referral of Trump &#8220;Clearly Unconstitutional&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Falan-dershowitz-jan-6-panels-criminal-referral-of-trump-clearly-unconstitutional-2%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1782288&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The House Jan. 6 committee\u2019s referral of former President Donald J. Trump to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/t-justice-department\">Justice Department<\/a> for prosecution violates the U.S. Constitution, according to Harvard Law Professor Emeritus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/t-alan-dershowitz\">Alan Dershowitz<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The committee, comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/jan-6-panel-votes-to-refer-trump-for-criminal-charges_4932349.html\">voted unanimously<\/a> to refer Trump for four criminal charges during its last hearing on Dec. 19, including one charge that would prevent him from ever holding office again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn my view, it\u2019s clearly unconstitutional,\u201d Dershowitz <a href=\"https:\/\/justthenews.com\/government\/federal-agencies\/alan-dershowitz-says-jan-6-trump-referral-unconstitutional-citing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told<\/a> Just the News on Monday. \u201cArticle One limits the power of Congress through legislative actions. This is not a legislative action, naming a specific individual and referring them to the Justice Department. It\u2019s not legislative and it tramples on the authority of the executive branch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The charges the committee recommended included insurrection, obstruction of an official proceeding, making a false statement to the federal government, and conspiracy to defraud the federal government.<\/p>\n<p>Under <a href=\"https:\/\/uscode.house.gov\/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-1999-title18-section2383&#038;num=0&#038;edition=1999\">U.S. law<\/a>, \u201cwhoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As of yet, no one has been charged with insurrection in relation to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach, though some defendants have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/oath-keeper-founder-stewart-rhodes-one-other-member-found-guilty-of-seditious-conspiracy_4879052.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">convicted<\/a> of or are facing seditious conspiracy charges.<\/p>\n<p>According to Dershowitz, the 14<sup>th<\/sup> Amendment does allow for Congress to act against an individual if that person was engaged in an insurrection or rebellion like the Civil War, but the committee did not act under that provision.<\/p>\n<p>Adding that it was his belief that the Justice Department would likely accept and then ignore the referrals, the lawyer noted: \u201cRemember, they now have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/biden-administration-appoints-special-prosecutor-for-trump-probe_4872218.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">special counsel<\/a>. They have the ability to investigate. They have a much higher standard of prosecution than Congress does. So, they will politely ignore what Congress has said.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3921661\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy wp-image-3921661 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/themes\/eet\/images\/white.png\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Epoch-Times-9A6A1845-1200x780-1.jpg\" alt=\"Epoch Times Photo\" width=\"640\" height=\"416\"   style=\"display:none\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3921661 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Epoch-Times-9A6A1845-1200x780-1.jpg\" alt=\"Epoch Times Photo\" width=\"640\" height=\"416\" \/><\/noscript> Alan Dershowitz speaks at The Epoch Times\u2019 Defending the Constitution event in New York City, on July 19, 2021. (Samira Bouaou\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Trump Responds<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Following Monday\u2019s hearing, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a member of the Jan. 6 committee, explained the panel\u2019s reasoning in making the referrals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur criminal referrals were based on the gravity of the offense, the centrality of the actors, and the evidence we had available to us. There were undoubtedly other people involved, but we were stymied by virtue of a lot of people refusing to come and testify, refusing to give us the information they had, or taking the Fifth Amendment. So, we chose to advance the names of people where we felt certain that there was abundant evidence that they had participated in crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump, however, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/trump-says-jan-6-committees-charges-are-fake-but-make-him-stronger_4934674.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dismissed<\/a>\u00a0the charges in the criminal referral as \u201cfake\u201d and an attempt to keep him from running for president again in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe people understand that the Democratic Bureau of Investigation, the DBI, are out to keep me from running for president because they know I\u2019ll win and that this whole business of prosecuting me is just like impeachment was\u2014a partisan attempt to sideline me and the Republican Party,\u201d he said in a statement shared via <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/109542780815944099\">Truth Social<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump also contended that the committee\u2019s move would make him stronger, stating: \u201cThese folks don\u2019t get it that when they come after me, people who love freedom rally around me. It strengthens me. What doesn\u2019t kill me makes me stronger. Americans know that I pushed for 20,000 troops to prevent violence on Jan 6, and that I went on television and told everyone to go home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In his speech at The Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump encouraged his supporters to \u201cfight like hell\u201d\u2014a remark that the Jan. 6 select committee has often cited as evidence that he intended to incite violence at the Capitol.<\/p>\n<p>However, in a less-publicized statement from the speech, the former president also stressed that his desire was for the crowd to \u201cpeacefully and patriotically make [their] voices heard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Further, after the situation at the Capitol had deteriorated to the point of violence, Trump released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c-span.org\/video\/?507774-1\/president-trump-claims-election-stolen-tells-protesters-leave-capitol\">recorded statement<\/a> urging the protestors to \u201cgo home, and go home in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know your pain; I know your hurt,\u201d the then-president said. \u201cWe had an election that was stolen from us. \u2026 But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Legislators Weigh In<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As news of the committee\u2019s referrals spread on Capitol Hill, lawmakers shared their perspectives on the matter, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe entire nation knows who is responsible for that day. Beyond that, I don\u2019t have any immediate observations,\u201d the Republican senator said in a statement, according to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/3781299-mcconnell-on-jan-6-criminal-referral-of-trump-entire-nation-knows-who-is-responsible-for-that-day\/\">The Hill<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>McConnell previously criticized Trump for the events of Jan. 6 in February 2021, after the former president was acquitted on the impeachment charge of inciting an insurrection.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day,\u201d McConnell said at the time, after voting to acquit Trump on the grounds that he no longer held the office.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepJudyChu\/status\/1604968622270676992\">weighed in<\/a> via Twitter, stating: \u201cNo one is above the law. I\u2019m proud of my colleagues on @January6thCmte for their tireless work defending American democracy and the Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Others, however, were less complimentary of the committee\u2019s work.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.), for instance, criticized what he described as the panel\u2019s \u201crelentless assault\u201d on the former president.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe continued demonization of President Trump is an attempt to cover up for the disastrous open border, reckless spending, and projecting American weakness abroad policies of President Joe Biden,\u201d Mooney contended in a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepAlexMooney\/status\/1604976630308524032\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, according to The Hill, incoming Senate Republican Conference Vice Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said the work of the Jan. 6 committee was \u201cobviously politicized,\u201d adding, \u201cI never heard of Congress instructing [the Justice Department] in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to Trump, the Jan. 6 select committee also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/jan-6-committee-proposes-charges-against-4-lawmakers_4933349.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recommended<\/a> a formal ethics investigation into the actions of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and fellow Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) in relation to the Capitol breach.<\/p>\n<p>The Epoch Times has reached out to the Jan. 6 select committee. The Justice Department declined to comment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"author_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"one_author_block round\">\n<div class=\"top_row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/author-samantha-flom\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Samantha-Flom.jpg\" alt=\"Samantha Flom\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"bio\">Samantha Flom is a reporter for The Epoch Times covering U.S. politics and news. A graduate of Syracuse University, she has a background in journalism and nonprofit communications.<br \/>\nContact her at <a href=\"mailto:samantha.flom@epochtimes.us\">samantha.flom@epochtimes.us<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The House Jan. 6 committee\u2019s referral of former President Donald J. Trump to the Justice Department for prosecution violates the U.S. Constitution, according to Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz.The<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1781807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[10637,10247,5458,3977,6511,6936,10636,10450,3819,3634,5803],"class_list":["post-1782288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report","tag-clearly","tag-alan","tag-bongino","tag-criminal","tag-dershowitz","tag-jan","tag-panels","tag-referral","tag-report","tag-trump","tag-unconstitutional"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1782288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1782288"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1782288\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1781807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1782288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1782288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1782288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}