Jan. 6 committee votes to subpoena Trump

WASHINGTON — The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol on Thursday voted to issue a subpoena to former President Donald Trump.

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“We are obligated to seek answers directly from the man who set this all in motion, and every American is entitled to those answer, so we can act now to protect our republic,” Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said while offering a resolution to seek documents and testimony from Trump.

Update 3:33 p.m. EDT Oct. 13: The nine-member committee unanimously voted in favor of subpoenaing Trump for documents and testimony related to the Jan. 6, 2021, violence at the U.S. Capitol.

The committee’s vice chairwoman, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said that the committee spoke with more than 30 witnesses who invoked their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, many “specifically in response to questions about their dealings with Donald Trump directly.”

Update 3:30 p.m. EDT Oct. 13: Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who serves as vice chairwoman of the House select committee, on Thursday offered a motion to subpoena Trump.

“We have sufficient information to consider criminal referrals for multiple individuals and to recommend a range of legislative proposals to guard against another January 6,” she said. “But a key task remains: We must seek the testimony under oath of January 6′s central player.”

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., acknowledged that subpoenaing a former president “is a serious and extraordinary action.”

“That’s why we want to take this step in full view of the American people, especially because the subject matter at issue is so important to the American people and the stakes are so high for our future and our democracy,” Thompson said.

Original report: Citing an unidentified source familiar with the committee’s work, The New York Times reported that the subpoena would be aimed at questioning Trump about his role in the events that led to violence at the Capitol last year. Sources also confirmed the expected move to The Associated Press and The Washington Post.

The committee’s chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., hinted at the vote at the start of Thursday’s hearing.

“We are convened today not as a hearing but as a formal committee business meeting so that in addition to presenting evidence, we can potentially hold a committee vote on further investigative action based upon that evidence,” he said.

The committee held its first public hearing in July. Thursday’s hearing is the ninth public hearing and expected to be the committee’s last, according to NPR.

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