In Washington, D.C., following the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Mitchell Bosch, a 44-year-old from Brooklyn, has been taken into custody on charges of assaulting law enforcement officers during the violent attack on U.S. democracy. The siege aimed to disrupt the certification of the 2020 Presidential election results, challenging the pillars of American democracy.
Bosch, facing a slew of charges in the District of Columbia, is accused of felony civil disorder and impeding officers, alongside misdemeanors for his alleged intrusion into restricted areas and violent behavior within the Capitol grounds. His apprehension by the FBI highlights the ongoing legal ramifications for those involved in the attack.
Court documents reveal Bosch’s alleged active participation, as video evidence places him at the heart of the chaos, where he is seen opposing police efforts to secure the Capitol. Allegations suggest Bosch pushed against officers, encouraged rioter resistance, and repeatedly engaged in confrontations, contributing to the tumultuous scenes that unfolded.
Bosch is accused of attempting to obstruct and interfere with law enforcement officers engaged in their official duties during a civil disorder, and his actions are said to have directly affected the conduct of a federally protected function, namely the joint session of Congress.
Following the 2020 United States presidential election, where Democrat Joe Biden defeated incumbent Republican President Donald Trump, Trump and other Republicans engaged in efforts to overturn the election results. Trump falsely claimed widespread voter fraud and prematurely declared victory as the votes were still being counted.
Despite the lack of factual foundation or valid legal arguments, Trump’s legal team filed numerous lawsuits aiming to challenge the election results, including two that reached the Supreme Court. These legal challenges were uniformly dismissed by the courts due to insufficient evidence or lack of legal standing.
In addition to legal avenues, Trump attempted to influence Republican officials and lawmakers to intervene in the electoral process by suggesting they replace Biden electors with those pledged to Trump or manufacture evidence of fraud. Trump also explored the possibility of invoking martial law and appointing a special counsel to investigate non-existent fraud. He pressured Vice President Mike Pence to alter the election results, which was beyond Pence’s constitutional powers.
These attempts to subvert the democratic process have been characterized by scholars and journalists as an attempted self-coup by Trump, often referred to as the “big lie.” In July 2023, Trump was notified of his official target status in the Smith special counsel investigation, and Trump attorney Sidney Powell later admitted guilt in a conspiracy to interfere with the electoral process.