More than three dozen House Democrats signed a letter calling for former President Trump’s trial on Jan. 6-related charges to be televised. In a letter led by Rep. Adam Schiff of California and signed by 37 other House Democrats, the lawmakers argued that allowing for the live broadcast of the trial is necessary “given the extraordinary national importance to our democratic institutions and the need for transparency.” The Associated Press has the story:
House Dems ask for Trump’s Election trial to be televised
Newslooks- (AP)
More than three dozen House Democrats have asked the administration of federal courts to broadcast the forthcoming trial of former President Donald Trump on unprecedented charges of attempting to steal the 2020 general election.
In the brief letter sent Thursday by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. who lead the 37 democrat lawmakers, to Judge Roslynn Mauskopf, Judicial Conference secretary, the lawmakers argue that due to the significance of the trial it is of the utmost importance that the public be able to witness the proceedings.
“Given the historic nature of the charges brought forth in these cases, it is hard to imagine a more powerful circumstance for televised proceedings. If the public is to fully accept the outcome, it will be vitally important for it to witness, as directly as possible, how the trials are conducted, the strength of the evidence adduced and the credibility of witnesses,” the lawmakers said.
Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday to four charges of conspiracy to defraud the Untied States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy against the right to vote, in connection to 2020 general election.
The indictment -the third to be brought against the former president in the last several months – accuses Trump of having “launched his criminal scheme” to steal the election through a conspiracy that involves at least six co-conspirators who are accused of having knowingly peddled false claims of voter fraud in an attempt to coerce state and local officials to subvert legitimate election results.
Prosecutors accused Trump of trying to leverage the Justice Department and attempting to enlist his vice president, Mike Pence, as well as sought to exploit the violence and the chaos of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection attempt on Congress to hold on to power.
“It is imperative the [Judicial] Conference ensures timely access to accurate and reliable information surrounding these cases and all of their proceedings, given the extraordinary national importance to our democratic institutions and the need for transparency,” the lawmakers said.
The policy of the Judicial Conference permits judges to authorize the broadcasting and photographing of criminal proceedings
The letter Thursday was signed by Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and other members of the Jan. 6 House select committee that was behind last year’s televised hearings into the attack on Congress. The lawmakers argued that allowing the public to watch the case play out will bolster public understanding of the process and blunt potential claims of iniquity.
Federal rules generally prohibit televising federal court proceedings. Trump’s arraignment on Thursday was not broadcast. Top lawmakers in both parties have pushed legislation, thus far unsuccessfully, to allow cameras in federal courtrooms.
“Timely access to accurate and reliable information” is warranted in this case “given the extraordinary national importance to our democratic institutions,” the members wrote. They argued that allowing the public to see “how trials are conducted, the strength of the evidence adduced and the credibility of witnesses” will be necessary for people to “fully accept the outcome” of the case.
The latest charges relate to Trump’s claims of fraud in the 2020 election and his subsequent efforts to overturn the result, culminating in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Unlike with the former president’s first two indictments, Democratic lawmakers – many of whom were at the Capitol on Jan. 6 – have had intense and emotional reactions to the latest charges.
