A sprawling review of the Justice Department’s handling of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot — and the Trump administration’s actions that preceded it — is unlikely to be released until after the next election takes place in November, the agency’s top internal watchdog said Wednesday.
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said he recently received a draft of the long-anticipated report, but the process of completing it and preparing it for release is expected to extend beyond Election Day.
I doubt it would be done in time for the election,” Horowitz said during a hearing of the House subcommittee probing “weaponization” of the federal government.
“Is it going to be done before the inauguration?” an incredulous Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) asked.
“That is certainly my hope,” Horowitz replied.
The report was ordered about a week after the Jan. 6 riot and is expected to cover an extensive range of topics, from former President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against top Justice Department officials to intervene in the election to the department’s preparation for and response to the violence at the Capitol.