Not mentioning any names here, but one of the dangers of committing crimes to win an election is losing and not having the friends in high places to cover them up!

Autocrats and would-be autocrats use this as leverage. "We all go down together if I fall." They make it impossible to hedge your bets. It's a mafia technique. This is why it's so important to clean things up, so there's no impunity.

If such people win, they write the pardons, the laws, and the history books. An example must be made of them when they lose, so others do not follow in their criminal, treasonous footsteps.

Such people are capable of anything, so they constantly surprise us. Deterrence must be clear and powerful or they and others just learn and improve their chances of success next time. Jan 6 is a case study, as are Trump and his cronies.