Press Release
Published on December 22, 2022
WASHINGTON – With today’s publication of the final report of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol and the recommendation of four criminal charges, including assisting or aiding an insurrection, against former President Donald Trump, Human Rights First commends the U.S. Congress for holding accountable those responsible for this attempt to disrupt American democracy.
“Human Rights First’s calls for an investigation immediately after the failed insurrection were heeded, and we applaud the January 6th committee’s work,” said Michael Breen, CEO and President of Human Rights First. “In the face of any efforts to discredit the work of the committee, it bears repeating that this is not an issue of right or left. It is an issue of right and wrong, of rights and abuses of those rights. The right to vote and have those votes counted is the critical element of all democracy, and we commend those from both parties who defend it. The Department of Justice must now hold accountable those who were part of the failed insurrection, contributed to it, or turned a blind eye to it – no matter their position or status.”
Human Rights First previously expressed support for the criminal trial of other insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
In addition, Human Rights First works to address the spread of antidemocratic extremist movements, including those that planned and executed the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
On December 12, 2022, Human Rights First published “’Digital Soldiers:’ QAnon Extremists Exploit U.S. Military, Threaten Democracy,” a report that details how the QAnon movement feigns an alliance with the military to continue to threaten democracy.
On June 9, 2022, Senior Researcher on Antisemitism Elizabeth Yates, Ph.D. testified before the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on how the bigoted, antisemitic, and xenophobic narratives of the antidemocratic far-right extremist movement in the U.S. are motivating white supremacist terrorism in the United States.
Director of Veterans for American Ideals Chris Purdy testified on March 31, 2022 before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on the targeting of veterans for radicalization by extremist organizations.
