DOJ expects to charge 100 additional suspects in Capitol attack, seeks extensions in cases News
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DOJ expects to charge 100 additional suspects in Capitol attack, seeks extensions in cases

The Department of Justice (DOJ) stated Friday that it expects to charge at least 100 additional suspects in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, explaining that the investigation into the attack is one of the largest investigations the department has conducted.

Approximately 300 suspects have already been charged in the Capitol attack, and the investigation is ongoing. To address the growing number of defendants and the significant amount of evidence, the DOJ is seeking 60-day extensions in a series of cases.

Prosecutors would use the 60-day delay to organize the evidence and make the evidence available to the suspects and their defense attorneys. Federal prosecutors asserted the need for the 60-day extension, explaining that “even in cases involving a single defendant, the volume of discoverable material is likely to be significant.”

To collect the evidence in these cases, the DOJ has executed over 900 search warrants in almost every state. Federal and local law enforcement agencies have provided over 15,000 hours of surveillance and body camera footage. Investigators are also examining 1,6000 electronic devices and reviewing 210,000 tips and 80,000 witness interviews.

In the court filing seeking the 60-day extensions, federal prosecutors asserted that “the failure to grant such a continuance in this proceeding would be likely to make a continuation of this proceeding impossible, or result in a miscarriage of justice.”