Capitol attack pardon revelations could spell doom for Trump and allies

Disclosure that many House Republicans sought presidential pardon may show they believed election fraud claim was false

The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack revealed at its inaugural hearing that Donald Trump's top Republican allies in Congress sought pardons after the January 6 insurrection, a major disclosure that bolstered the claim that the event amounted to a coup and is likely to cause serious scrutiny for those implicated.

The news that multiple House Republicans asked the Trump White House for pardons - an apparent consciousness of guilt - was one of three revelations portending potentially perilous legal and political moments to come for Trump and his allies.