"I think that we're trying to understand those 187 minutes that he didn't say anything — what that means. And we're trying to put some more light on that. I personally am not drawing any conclusions on where that takes us," said panel member Rep. Pete Aguilar, a Democrat from California.

Cheney's comments this week highlighted a federal statute that makes it illegal to obstruct an official proceeding. She said it would be key to the committee's investigation into Trump's activity during the riot.

It comes after the committee held Mark Meadows, Trump's former chief of staff, in contempt as part of an effort to force him to cooperate with the probe.

"Mr. Meadows'  testimony will bear on a key question in front of this Committee: Did Donald Trump, through action or inaction, corruptly seek to obstruct or impede Congress's official proceeding to count electoral votes?" — Cheney said.

"Mr. Meadows' testimony will inform our legislative judgments on those issues."

Legal experts told Insider's C. Ryan Barber that Cheney's remarks appeared to be a clear reference to the same charge hundreds of people who stormed Congress have faced — that of "corruptly obstructing an official proceeding."

Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor and now a professor at the George Washington University Law School, told Insider that Trump could be "equally liable" for the charge if he was found to have played a role in encouraging others to obstruct a congressional proceeding.

Eliason said that prosecutors would have to find evidence that Trump played an active role in the event, rather than simply having allowed it to happen.