The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 riots has withdrawn a subpoena for former President Donald Trump as it finishes its work and prepares for its dissolution next week.
“As you may know, the selection committee has completed its hearings and released its final report, which will soon be over,” wrote Chairman Benny Thompson.
“Given the imminent end of our investigation, the Special Committee can no longer pursue the specific information covered by the subpoena.”
The committee will seek evidence and documents from the former president in investigating his role in the 2021 Capitol riots and efforts to reverse his 2020 defeat, and will seek them before the October midterm elections. voted to serve a subpoena to Trump at his final televised hearing.
Committee members acknowledge that the subpoenas will be difficult to enforce, especially with Republicans poised to take over the House in January.
Still, the move had political and symbolic value.
Liz Cheney, the commission’s vice chair and one of two Republicans on the nine-member commission, said at the time, “We are the man who made all this work.” You are obliged to seek an answer directly from
“And every American deserves those answers.”
Trump sued the committee last November to avoid cooperating. The lawsuit says the former president has voluntarily agreed to provide evidence and documents in response to congressional subpoenas in the past, but “never has the president or the former president been compelled to do so.” claim. So “.
In its final report issued last week, the commission concluded that Trump was involved in “multiple conspiracies” to overthrow the 2020 election and failed to address the violence.
It also recommended that the Justice Department investigate the former president for four separate crimes, including aiding insurrection.
On Wednesday night, Trump and his lawyers took to social media to spin the move as a victory.
“Perhaps they knew I did nothing wrong, or maybe they did it because they were about to lose in court,” Trump wrote to Truth Social. He called the panel members “political rogues”.
Trump’s attorney Hermit Dillon said on Twitter that the committee “was waving the white flag.”
1/ It’s broken! After my company filed a segregation of powers lawsuit to stop the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 from serving an improper subpoena to President Trump over his activities during his presidency, The committee waved a white flag and withdrew the subpoena. pic.twitter.com/7ElOXljpt1
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) December 29, 2022
Updated: December 29, 2022 at 5:17 PM
