Topline
The House committee investigating the Capitol riot Thursday subpoenaed Kimberly Guilfoyle—fiancée to Donald Trump Jr. and the 2020 Trump campaign’s fundraising chief—six days after she walked out of a voluntary interview with the committee.
Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle arrive at the Rose Garden of the White House on July 11, … [+]
Key Facts
The subpoena demanded Guilfoyle produce certain documents by March 11 and appear for a deposition on March 15.
The committee has evidence that Guilfoyle was in direct contact with “key individuals” on the day of the riot, January 6, 2021, the committee tweeted Thursday.
In a Thursday letter to Guilfoyle, committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said the committee had evidence that Guilfoyle raised funds for the “Stop the Steal” rally that immediately preceded the riot, and that she claimed to have raised $3 million from supermarket heiress Julie Fancelli, a key donor and organizer for the event.
Though Guilfoyle claimed she wanted to cooperate, she provided only 110 pages in response to 14 document requests, according to the letter.
Though Guilfoyle abruptly ended a February 25 voluntary interview, claiming she hadn’t been told ahead of time that committee members could participate in the interview, Guilfoyle was in fact informed of this beforehand, Thompson wrote.
Joseph Tacopina, Guilfoyle’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Supporters of Donald Trump enter the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC.
Key Background
According to the January 6 committee, Guilfoyle was a key player on the day of the riot, helping to organize the “Stop the Steal” rally and meeting with then-President Donald Trump at the White House. Accounts differ regarding Guilfoyle’s decision to end her February 25 voluntary interview with staff and committee members. Tacopina accused the committee of using the interview as a “political weapon” against Trump, and claimed committee members were responsible for leaks of information about the interview, justifying Guilfoyle’s refusal to cooperate. Participants in the interview included Reps. Adam B. Schiff and Jamie Raskin (both D-Md.), the New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources. On the other hand, Thompson said Guilfoyle “backed out of her original commitment” without valid justification. A witness who wrongfully refuses to comply with a congressional subpoena may be punished with a fine of up to $1,000 and imprisonment for up to one year. Guilfoyle’s subpoena was issued one day after the committee claimed in a legal filing it had sufficient evidence to conclude Trump and members of his campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States by attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. So far, the committee has received over 35,000 documents and interviewed over 550 witnesses.
Contra
“Ms. Guilfoyle, under threat of subpoena, agreed to meet exclusively with counsel for the select committee in a good-faith effort to provide true and relevant evidence,” Tacopina told the New York Times following the voluntary interview. “However, upon Ms. Guilfoyle’s attendance, the committee revealed its untrustworthiness, as members notorious for leaking information appeared.”
Further Reading
“January 6 House Panel Alleges Criminal Conspiracy By Trump In Court Filing” (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharysmith/2022/03/03/january-6-committee-subpoenas-kimberly-guilfoyle-says-she-helped-incite-capitol-riot/