Written by Perry Hazeltine, Lancaster City. This piece was first published on February 16, 2022 in LancasterOnline. Reprinted here with permission from the author.
A strong case is emerging that former President Trump made a concerted effort to reverse the election results. His effort included promoting false electors, pursuing seizure of voting machines, and pressuring election officials to alter the vote count. Trump’s effort seems to have also included the criminal action of impeding Congress from counting the electoral votes by inciting an insurrection. Despite this, it is unclear whether the Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation.
It is imperative that a robust investigation be conducted, not only to hold Trump accountable but to show that our nation will enforce the rule of law that is a cornerstone of Democracy. Trump’s Big Lie about voting fraud and the attempt to overturn the election is a threat to free and fair elections without which we will descend into fascism. This is not liberal hyperbole. Even former Vice President Pence recognized the threat to Democracy. In a recent speech he stated that Trump’s claim that the Vice President had the power to overturn the election by throwing out votes in key states is wrong. He added, “If we lose faith in the Constitution, we won’t just lose elections — we’ll lose our country.”
The House of Representatives committee that is investigating the January 6th insurrection and its antecedents is doing an excellent job in garnering strong evidence. However, their power is limited to recommending actions. The Department of Justice, which has the power to prosecute, must pick up the ball and pick up the pace.
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