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The Brown & Crouppen Legal Lens takes a closer look at everyday legal issues and gives you a better understanding of topics that may affect you
ST. LOUIS — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol will hold its third hearing on Thursday in Washington, D.C. In this week’s Legal Lens, Andrea McNairy, the managing attorney for Brown & Crouppen, explains what’s happening at these hearings.
From a legal standpoint, what’s going on?
“The hearings are to inform the public,” said McNairy. “The House committee was designed to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, but the hearings are actually designed for the committee to be able to present the evidence that they found. Nine members make up the committee from both parties — Republicans and Democrats. The plan is for them to also release a full report on the findings, including legislative recommendations or reforms at some point this fall.”
What’s the specific focus or end goal? “The focus is divided into four main areas,” McNairy said. “One would be the effort by former President Trump to cast doubt on the election and to keep Biden from being certified as president. Another is who actually financed and paid for and organized the rallies right before the attack. Another is security failures by Capitol police and federal agents, and then the last is the actions of rioters themselves.”
Why should this matter to Missourians? “Other than just being a historic event like Watergate, there have been 22 Missourians so far that have been charged in the insurrection. The earliest resident was charged in January of 2021, and the most recent being in March of 2022,” said McNairy. “They were charged from surveillance at the Capitol, from using their cell phones and using their cell phones in the Capitol, or from social media posts that they themselves posted, and then finally being watched by over 20 million people on TV networks. So, the nation is watching.”
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