WASHINGTON — The House Jan. 6 committee plans to release any criminal referrals as part of its final report, committee members said Wednesday.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the committee chairman, told reporters Tuesday he expects the panel to make criminal referrals, but that members are still weighing who would be the targets of the referrals and how many the panel would make.
The committee plans to publish its report the week of Dec. 19, with two sources telling NBC News that the panel is eyeing a Dec. 21 release date.
In addition to considering a referral involving former President Donald Trump, the committee could offer contempt of Congress referrals for fellow members who have ignored its subpoenas, for witnesses it believes lied to its investigators and for individuals it believes attempted to intimidate witnesses in the probe.
The committee is required by statute to issue its report by Dec. 31, so any referrals to the Justice Department or other agencies would come before the end of the year.
“The committee continues to meet. [We have a] meeting upcoming, and decision points to be made,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., a committee member. “We will announce anything we have likely as a part of our final report.”
The report will be a massive compilation of the work the committee has done for the last year and a half, outlining its findings and offering up recommendations and possible legislation to prevent something like the Jan. 6 attack from happening again. Thompson has said the document could be up to eight chapters.
Aguilar said the committee members are now meeting “almost daily” and they still have a lot of work to do before they settle on the form and fashion of the pending referrals.
“We haven’t finalized any decisions yet. Our options are on the table. Referrals to outside agencies are possible and as soon as the committee finishes our work moving forward to sharing our results,” he said.
The timing of the report is later than members had originally hoped.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., on Wednesday said, “I think we’re very close to being finished, but we’re not quite there.”
The committee will release the report as part of a public business meeting, where members will vote to adopt the findings and recommendations. Details surrounding the public nature of that meeting are being discussed.
Plans are also underway to release all of the information committee investigators have compiled. That would come at the same time as the report’s publication.
A committee spokesperson declined to comment on the panel’s schedule.
In court filings, committee lawyers have already argued that they believe Trump committed a crime. The committee made those arguments in federal court as it sought documents from attorney John Eastman, who featured prominently in the panel’s public hearings.
Referrals from the committee carry no legal weight but serve as recommendations to agencies.
Dareh Gregorian contributed.