The January 6 hearings are playing out like a punchy political thriller. But the question now is whether the pressure Donald Trump exerted on Mike Pence constitutes a crime, write Joanna Robin and Carrington Clarke.
Could these hearings actually lead to a former president being charged?
A plan for an independent commission, modelled on the one that investigated the 9/11 terror attacks comprised of five Democratic and five Republican commissioners, was rejected by Senate Republicans. "I am watching and I will be watching all the hearings, although I may not be able to watch all of it live," Garland told reporters after the second hearing.It's a rare public statement from the Attorney-General, who has faced increasing pressure to make his move.
But it was the final of the three, focused squarely on the plot to force former vice-president Mike Pence to block the peaceful transfer of power, which could prove the most consequential.In the days between election night and January 6, a behind-the-scenes tug of war took place after Trump learned Pence had a crucial constitutional role to play in certifying the election, multiple witnesses said.
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