Duckworth, Durbin Call On Illinois U.S. Attorneys to Prioritize Appropriate Prosecutions of Those Involved in Attack on U.S. Capitol
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on the three United States Attorneys serving in Illinois to prioritize the appropriate prosecutions of those involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol. In a letter sent on Friday to Northern District of Illinois U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr., Central District of Illinois U.S. Attorney John C. Milhiser and Southern District of Illinois U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft, Duckworth and Durbin requested the U.S. Attorneys work to identify and prosecute participants in the January 6 attack, and work with law enforcement partners to prevent and respond to potential further acts of domestic terrorism, violent insurrection or seditious conspiracy in Illinois.
“All who swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, must demonstrate resolve and determination in continuing to oppose and hold accountable our nation’s domestic enemies who have demonstrated contempt for our Constitution and the rule of law,” the Senators wrote.
Duckworth and Durbin noted that prosecuting any individuals involved in the insurrection “may require dusting off criminal statutes that none of us may have envisioned having to ever enforce, but know that you will have our support in taking all appropriate action to bring domestic enemies of the United States to justice using all statutory authorities and tools available under the United States Code.”
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear U.S. Attorneys Lausch, Milhiser and Weinhoeft:
The January 6, 2021 attack at the United States Capitol was an outrageous assault on our constitutional order, our Republic and the law enforcement officers defending our democracy. It was a violent act of insurrection and an un-American seditious conspiracy that used force to oppose the authority of the United States; prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the Electoral Count Act; and unlawfully seize, take or possess property of the United States. During this attack, lawless thugs brutally murdered a Capitol Police Officer and reportedly threatened to assassinate public officials, including the Vice President of the United States and the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
This violent mob, incited by the President of the United States, and comforted – and potentially aided – by certain Members of Congress, sought to halt the peaceful transfer of power through an act of domestic terror, effectively assaulting the Constitution of the United States of America itself by preventing the people’s elected representatives from performing their constitutional duty. All who swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, must demonstrate resolve and determination in continuing to oppose and hold accountable our Nation’s domestic enemies who have demonstrated contempt for our Constitution and the rule of law.
I call on each of your respective offices to commit to working with law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute, to the fullest extent of the law, any Illinois resident that participated in the January 6 attack. This may require dusting off criminal statutes that none of us may have envisioned having to ever enforce, but know that you will have our support in taking all appropriate action to bring domestic enemies of the United States to justice using all statutory authorities and tools available under the United States Code.
In addition, we also call on each of your offices to coordinate closely with law enforcement partners to prevent and respond to potential further acts of domestic terrorism, violent insurrection or seditious conspiracy in our home State of Illinois. Reports indicate that domestic extremists may be seeking to attack State Capitals throughout the country in the days surrounding the inauguration.
Law enforcement in Illinois must be pre-positioned, prepared and ready to take swift action to apprehend and detain individuals at the scene of insurrectionist crimes, rather than allowing thugs to walk away to sleep in the comfort of their own homes. And federal prosecutors must be prepared to work hand-in-hand with law enforcement to investigate and, where warranted, prosecute such crimes. These domestic enemies seek to destroy a government of the people, by the people and for the people – and it is our collective duty to stop them. Thank you for your consideration of our urgent request.
Sincerely,
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