The U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on Capitol Hill formally issued a subpoena for former President Donald Trump, who lawmakers say “personally orchestrated” a coordinated effort to nullify the results of the 2020 election.
Hours earlier, Steve Bannon, a Trump ally, was sentenced to four months in prison for refusing to testify in the committee’s investigation into the insurrection.
In a letter to Trump’s lawyers, the nine-member special panel demanded that the former president testify under oath, either on Capitol Hill or by videoconference, “beginning on or about November 14.” which is after the crucial midterm elections on November 8 – and continue for several days if necessary.
A series of documents was also requested, including personal communications between him and legislators, as well as with extremist groups, made on the day of the assault. The subpoena comes after this special panel voted unanimously on Oct. 13 to order Trump to appear before investigators.
“We recognize that subpoenaing a former president is an important and historic move,” commission chair Bennie Thompson and vice chair Liz Cheney wrote in the letter. “We do not take this measure lightly.”
It was unclear how the tycoon and his legal team would respond to the order, as he could abide by it, negotiate with the panel or simply ignore it. He could also challenge it in court. His spokeswoman did not return a request for comment.
The commission alleged in its letter that it has gathered “overwhelming evidence” that Trump “personally orchestrated” a campaign to reverse his own defeat in the 2020 election, including spreading false allegations of widespread fraud, “attempting to corrupt” the Department. of Justice and pressuring state officials, legislators and his own vice president to alter the results.
Lawmakers, however, say key details about the case are missing, and the only person who can fill those gaps is Trump.
Meanwhile, federal judge Carl Nichols sentenced Steve Bannon to four months in prison for refusing to testify, although he allowed him to remain free while he appeals. In addition, he fined her $6,500 as part of the sentence. In July, a federal court found him guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress: refusing to testify and failing to produce documents.
Steve Bannon, Trump ally and convicted of contempt of Congress, accompanied by his lawyer Evan Corcoran, leaving the court that sentenced him yesterday. Photo: AP.
Nichols recalled that the law clearly establishes that contempt of the legislature is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of one month in jail. The prosecution had asked for a six-month sentence, while the defense had argued in favor of a period of probation.
“Today was my trial day,” Bannon said defiantly as he left federal court in Washington. He promised that “on November 8 the illegitimate regime” of President Joe Biden will be judged, alluding to the mid-term elections. Protesters yelled at him “Traitor! Fascist!”
Asked about the sentence, Biden responded with disdain: “I never have a reaction with Steve Bannon.”
Alan Byerly, a Pennsylvania man, was sentenced to nearly three years in prison for assaulting an Associated Press photographer and attacking police officers with a stun gun during unrest on Capitol Hill.
The Department of Justice assured that it urgently needs “more than 34 million dollars in additional financing” to maintain the investigation against those suspected of participating in the insurrection of January 6.
In this context, anonymous sources consulted by The Washington Post newspaper reported that the documents seized from the Trump mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, last August included highly confidential intelligence data that addressed Iran’s missile program and “described a job of highly sensitive intelligence directed at China.
(Taken from The Day)