Political commentator and author Dick Morris told Newsmax Monday that the four criminal referrals against former President Donald Trump passed on to the Department of Justice by the House select Jan. 6 committee are a political "contrivance," "absurd," and are not likely to be prosecuted by the agency.
"This is so obviously a contrivance, and so obviously it's wrong," Morris said during "American Agenda" Monday. "I mean, Trump tried to bring in 20,000 [National Guard] troops to quell the riot. He told everyone to go home peacefully.
"To say that he fomented insurrection is just absurd. And that's obvious just as the two impeachment grounds were absurd, and voters understand that, particularly Republican voters."
The committee was empaneled by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in July 2021 after the House voted June 30 to create the committee to investigate the protest and riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
In appointing the members, Pelosi used her authority under the rules of the House to not allow two of five members Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wanted on the body, which included a majority of seven Democrats, according to the committee's official website.
After a total of 10 public hearings on the events of the day, the committee issued a report in October and on Monday referred Trump to the DOJ for prosecution on four charges.
"In the committee's judgment, based on all the evidence developed, President Trump believed then, and continues to believe now, that he is above the law, not bound by our Constitution and its explicit checks on presidential authority," the committee's report executive summary said. "This recent Trump statement only heightens our concern about accountability.
"If President Trump and the associates who assisted him in an effort to overturn the lawful outcome of the 2020 election are not ultimately held accountable under the law, their behavior may become a precedent and invitation to danger for future elections. A failure to hold them accountable now may ultimately lead to future unlawful efforts to overturn our elections, thereby threatening the security and viability of our Republic."
The New York Times reported the charges as inciting insurrection, conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of an act of Congress, and one more federal crime.
"[Voters] get it that this is not a real judicial proceeding against a person," Morris said. "This is simply a partisan attempt to get them Trump as he is running for president and will have no more impact to him politically than the impeachments did."
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