Jan 6. panel expected to issue criminal referrals, chairman says

Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House Jan. 6 committee, told reporters Tuesday that he expects the panel to make criminal referrals to the Department of Justice.

Thompson said the panel has yet to formalize its decision and also declined to say which individuals would be subject to the referrals.

"We have made decisions on criminal referrals," Thompson said.

"There's a general agreement we will do some referrals, but we've got to get there," he added. "We're not there yet."

While a criminal referral does not carry any legal weight, it would amount to an official finding that the panel believes a crime or crimes were committed.

In a statement to NBC News, a spokesperson for the committee said it "has determined that referrals to outside entities should be considered as a final part of its work," and that it will make "decisions about specifics in the days ahead."

The panel voted unanimously to subpoena former President Donald Trump during its final public hearing, asking him for any communications he may have had regarding extremist groups involved in the Capitol attack and any attempts in the past year to contact witnesses testifying before the committee.

Trump then sued to block the subpoena, arguing that he is exempt from the subpoena because of executive privilege, even though he left office nearly two years ago.