WASHINGTON: Lawmakers investigating the 2021 attack on the US Capitol have subpoenaed the former president Donald Trump Friday to testify about his involvement in the violence, in a major escalation of their extensive investigation.
The summons comes after a House panel of seven Democrats and two Republicans voted unanimously last week to force Trump to appear before investigators.
It requires the 76-year-old Republican to present documents by November 4 and appear for impeachment to begin on or around November 14 — the Monday following the pivotal November 8 midterm election.
“As demonstrated in our hearings, we have gathered a wealth of evidence, including from dozens of your appointees and former employees, that you personally coordinated and supervised multi-part effort to reverse 2020 presidential election and to impede the peaceful transfer of power,” the commission said trumpet in a letter.
Trump, who called on his supporters to “fight like hell” in a fiery speech near The White House on January 6, 2021, impeached for inciting mobs to storm Parliament later that day to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to Joe Biden.
The letter accuses Trump of bidding to overturn the election despite knowing that the fraudulent claims were overwhelmingly rejected by more than 60 courts and denied by his campaign staff and senior advisers.
“In short, you are at the center of any American president’s first and only attempt to overturn an election and impede a peaceful transition of power, ultimately culminating in point is a bloody attack on our Capitol and on Congress itself,” it added.
Without confirming Trump had received a subpoena, his attorney David Warrington said his team would “review and analyze” the document and “respond appropriately to this unprecedented action.”
The White House declined to comment on the matter but issued a broad statement that it was important “to get to the bottom of January 6”.
Subpoenas from the panel proved difficult to enforce, with former White House aide Steve Bannon the only target found guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply.
Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison on Friday, though he remains on bail pending an appeal.
Trump is well known for his ability to run congressional investigations and legal action, and it is highly unlikely that he will agree to give evidence.
The subpoena expires in all cases with a new congressional term in January. Republicans are expected to win back the House in the November election and plan to immediately end the investigation.
But the move marks a positive escalation of the investigation, which has issued more than 100 subpoenas and interviewed more than 1,000 people since its launch in 2021.
While no sitting president has been forced to testify before Congress, lawmakers have convened several former presidents to discuss their conduct while in office.
Trump’s compliance means testifying under oath and could lead to charges of perjury if he lies.
If he refuses to comply, the full House could hold him in criminal contempt in a vote to indict him, as it did with Bannon.
– The ‘clear and present’ danger – The jury revealed a pile of evidence across eight hearings over the summer about the former president’s involvement in a series of intricately connected plots aimed at overthrowing the president. reverse the 2020 election.
Eyewitness testimony has provided excellent examples of Trump and his allies pressuring election officials and attempting to get legal ballots invalidated in swing states, and about Trump’s inertia in the mob revolt.
The committee also stressed its position that Trump – who continues to be a source of disinformation about the 2020 presidential election – remains a “clear and present” threat to the American people. owner.
Lawmakers are expected to release the final report later this year.
The committee has not announced whether it will issue direct criminal referrals to the Capitol attack, though the move will not be just a gesture as the Justice Department is investigating.
The list of records Trump was asked to provide includes all of his communications on the day of the uprising, as well as different types of messages in the weeks leading up to the riots.
Investigators specifically referred to Signal, indicating that the committee determined that Trump used an encrypted communications app while participating in the conspiracy.
The software allows users to delete messages automatically at any selected time period.
The requested documents include any Signal communications between Trump and far-right forces such as the Oath-Keepers and the Proud Boys.
The summons comes after a House panel of seven Democrats and two Republicans voted unanimously last week to force Trump to appear before investigators.
It requires the 76-year-old Republican to present documents by November 4 and appear for impeachment to begin on or around November 14 — the Monday following the pivotal November 8 midterm election.
“As demonstrated in our hearings, we have gathered a wealth of evidence, including from dozens of your appointees and former employees, that you personally coordinated and supervised multi-part effort to reverse 2020 presidential election and to impede the peaceful transfer of power,” the commission said trumpet in a letter.
Trump, who called on his supporters to “fight like hell” in a fiery speech near The White House on January 6, 2021, impeached for inciting mobs to storm Parliament later that day to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to Joe Biden.
The letter accuses Trump of bidding to overturn the election despite knowing that the fraudulent claims were overwhelmingly rejected by more than 60 courts and denied by his campaign staff and senior advisers.
“In short, you are at the center of any American president’s first and only attempt to overturn an election and impede a peaceful transition of power, ultimately culminating in point is a bloody attack on our Capitol and on Congress itself,” it added.
Without confirming Trump had received a subpoena, his attorney David Warrington said his team would “review and analyze” the document and “respond appropriately to this unprecedented action.”
The White House declined to comment on the matter but issued a broad statement that it was important “to get to the bottom of January 6”.
Subpoenas from the panel proved difficult to enforce, with former White House aide Steve Bannon the only target found guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply.
Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison on Friday, though he remains on bail pending an appeal.
Trump is well known for his ability to run congressional investigations and legal action, and it is highly unlikely that he will agree to give evidence.
The subpoena expires in all cases with a new congressional term in January. Republicans are expected to win back the House in the November election and plan to immediately end the investigation.
But the move marks a positive escalation of the investigation, which has issued more than 100 subpoenas and interviewed more than 1,000 people since its launch in 2021.
While no sitting president has been forced to testify before Congress, lawmakers have convened several former presidents to discuss their conduct while in office.
Trump’s compliance means testifying under oath and could lead to charges of perjury if he lies.
If he refuses to comply, the full House could hold him in criminal contempt in a vote to indict him, as it did with Bannon.
– The ‘clear and present’ danger – The jury revealed a pile of evidence across eight hearings over the summer about the former president’s involvement in a series of intricately connected plots aimed at overthrowing the president. reverse the 2020 election.
Eyewitness testimony has provided excellent examples of Trump and his allies pressuring election officials and attempting to get legal ballots invalidated in swing states, and about Trump’s inertia in the mob revolt.
The committee also stressed its position that Trump – who continues to be a source of disinformation about the 2020 presidential election – remains a “clear and present” threat to the American people. owner.
Lawmakers are expected to release the final report later this year.
The committee has not announced whether it will issue direct criminal referrals to the Capitol attack, though the move will not be just a gesture as the Justice Department is investigating.
The list of records Trump was asked to provide includes all of his communications on the day of the uprising, as well as different types of messages in the weeks leading up to the riots.
Investigators specifically referred to Signal, indicating that the committee determined that Trump used an encrypted communications app while participating in the conspiracy.
The software allows users to delete messages automatically at any selected time period.
The requested documents include any Signal communications between Trump and far-right forces such as the Oath-Keepers and the Proud Boys.
