Republicans slam Jan. 6 committee's subpoena of Trump, ethics committee referrals

Republicans on Monday slammed the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot for criminally referring former President Donald Trump to the Justice Department and ethics referrals for four Republican congressmen.

"This is just another partisan and political stunt made by a Select Committee that knowingly altered evidence, blocked minority representation on a Committee for the first time in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives," said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Axios reported. Jordan is one of four Republican congressmen the panel recommended for the House Ethics Committee to probe. 

The Democratic-led panel unanimously recommended on Monday for Trump to be prosecuted on four counts including obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to make a false statement to the government, conspiracy to defraud the United States and inciting, assisting or aiding an insurrection. The Jan. 6 committee also referred Jordan and Republican Reps. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), Scott Perry (Pa.) and Andy Biggs (Ariz.) to the House Ethics panel for refusing to comply with subpoenas. 

Biggs tweeted during the panel's meeting: "This Hollywood-backed committee continues to waste resources and taxpayer money to produce the most biased congressional 'investigation' in this nation's history. In a matter of days, they will be irrelevant (if they weren't already)."

Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a close ally of Trump, said that the "real reason" the committee referred Trump for prosecution is because the Democrats will not be able to beat him.

Democrats celebrated the panel's decision. 

"No man, not even a President, is above the law," tweeted Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.).