Topline
The House committee investigating the U.S. Capitol riot issued three more subpoenas Tuesday, requesting documents and deposition from a Trump official who allegedly helped draft the former president’s speech at a rally preceding the riot, as well as two of Donald Trump Jr.’s advisors who allegedly communicated with rally organizers and speakers.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: Large crowds of supporters of President Donald Trump make their way to … [+]
Key Facts
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the committee’s chairman, said the panel has subpoenaed Ross Worthington, a former White House official who lawmakers say helped write former President Donald Trump’s Ellipse rally speech, in which the former president falsely claimed the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.
Though Worthington’s contributions to the speech aren’t clear, the address contained phrases many observers have called incendiary, urging his supporters tov “fight much harder,” “stop the steal,” “fight like hell” and march to the Capitol to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”
The committee also subpoenaed Andy Surabian and Arthur Schwartz, former strategists to Donald Trump Jr. who the panel says contributed to the planning of the Ellipse rally, communicating with the president’s eldest son and others about the rally’s proposed speakers and media coverage.
In a Twitter statement, Surabian’s lawyer said his client will cooperate with the committee “within reason,” but he is “bewildered” as to why Surabian is being subpoenaed, claiming he wasn’t involved with the rally and had been “off the payroll of the Trump campaign” since November 2020.
Worthington did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment, and Schwartz gave no comment to the Associated Press.
Key Background
Trump’s Ellipse rally speech was a key piece of evidence for House Democrats who impeached the then-president for “incitement of insurrection” in January—the Senate later acquitted Trump in February. The committee investigating the January 6 riot has issued dozens of subpoenas to Trump advisors and staffers like Worthington, though Trump has advised them to not cooperate with the panel. Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon was indicted on contempt of Congress charges for his refusal to cooperate, and the House voted to hold Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt, though the Justice Department has not criminally charged him.
Tangent
On Tuesday, Thompson told CNN the panel expects to subpoena Trump’s former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani at some point. Giuliani was reportedly involved in a strategy meeting with other Trump advisors on January 6 in which the group discussed plans to overturn Trump’s election loss (a Trump spokesperson denied the report).
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/2022/01/11/capitol-riot-committee-subpoenas-staffer-who-allegedly-helped-draft-trumps-jan-6-stop-the-steal-speech/