Capitol riot: Trump’s closest aides summoned to testify

The committee investigating the 6 January US Capitol riot has summoned more of former President Donald Trump’s closest aides to give evidence.

Among the latest batch is a former White House press secretary, a senior policy adviser and personal assistants.

The inquiry is trying to find out if Mr Trump had foreknowledge of the attack.

A mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol building and disrupted the official certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory.

Mr Trump was impeached by Congress, but cleared by lawmakers of inciting an insurrection. More than 670 people have been arrested for the invasion of the Capitol complex.

Mr Trump said in a statement on Tuesday that the subpoenas have been issued by a select committee of “politically ambitious hacks”.

Sixteen of his closest aides have been subpoenaed – a legal summons – in the past two days as investigators hone in on the former president’s inner circle.

Bennie Thompson, the Mississippi Democrat who chairs the House of Representatives Select Committee, said he wants to know every detail about what happened on 6 January, and in the days leading up to it.

“We need to know precisely what role the former president and his aides played in efforts to stop the counting of the electoral votes and if they were in touch with anyone outside the White House attempting to overturn the outcome of the election,” he said in a statement.

Those subpoenaed should produce documents by 23 November, the committee said, and appear for closed-doors depositions from late November to mid-December.

Individual legal letters to the former officials detail why they are being summoned to testify:

Nicholas Luna, Mr Trump’s personal assistant, was reportedly in the Oval Office on the morning of the riot, when he was on the phone to then-Vice President Mike Pence pressuring him not to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary at the time, made a number of public statements falsely alleging fraud in the 2020 election, and was reportedly with Mr Trump as he watched the attack on television.

Stephen Miller, who was Mr Trump’s senior adviser, “participated in efforts to spread false information about alleged voter fraud”, according to the House Select Committee chairman.

John Eastman, lawyer and adviser who spoke at Mr Trump’s rally outside the Capitol building on 6 January before the riot began. According to the legal letter, Mr Eastman also allegedly penned a memo entitled “war games” that outlined a six-point-plan to overturn the election days before the insurrection.

Chairman Thompson said the committee expects the witnesses to “comply fully” with the demand for information. However, Mr Trump – who has yet to concede losing the election to Mr Biden – previously told his allies to withhold documents from the investigation, citing executive privilege.

Several former officials followed his advice, including Steve Bannon, who is now facing contempt of Congress charges after he refused to comply.

Early on Tuesday, a federal judge in Washington DC rejected an emergency request by Mr Trump to keep the US National Archives from turning over White House records to the committee.

The issue is not fully decided, however, as the judge is still considering Mr Trump’s argument that the documents are sensitive and protected by presidential executive privilege. A final decision is expected on Friday.

The other officials subpoenaed on Monday and Tuesday were:

Previously, the committee has also subpoenaed: