A U.S. House of Representatives committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol has issued a subpoena compelling former President Donald Trump to provide documents and testify under oath about his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The committee announced that Mr Trump had been directed to submit the requested documents by November 4, 2022, and to appear for a deposition beginning on or about November 14.
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A deposition is a sworn interview conducted outside the courtroom, often recorded on video, with the testimony potentially forming part of the committee’s final report.
In a letter accompanying the subpoena, the committee said it had gathered substantial evidence, including testimony from several of Mr Trump’s former administration officials and aides, alleging that he played a central role in attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.
The panel is seeking documents and communications relating to Mr Trump’s contacts with members of Congress, associates and former advisers, including Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Rudy Giuliani.
It is also requesting records concerning alleged efforts to encourage state legislatures to delay the certification of the presidential election or appoint alternative slates of electors in support of Mr Trump’s bid to remain in office.
Mr Trump has consistently rejected the committee’s work, describing it as politically motivated and referring to it as the “unselect committee.”
He has also continued to repeat his unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 presidential election was marred by widespread fraud.
At the time the subpoena was issued, it was widely expected that Mr Trump would challenge or decline to comply with the order, particularly as the committee’s mandate was expected to end if Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives following the November 2022 midterm elections.
The subpoena was issued hours after Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Mr Trump, was sentenced to four months in federal prison for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena issued by the same committee. He remained free pending an appeal.
The committee noted that testimony by current or former presidents before Congress was not unprecedented, citing several former presidents who had appeared before congressional bodies, including Gerald Ford.
Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson and Vice Chair Liz Cheney wrote that Mr Trump was “at the centre of the first and only effort by any U.S. president to overturn an election and obstruct the peaceful transition of power.”
The January 6, 2021, attack occurred after Mr Trump addressed supporters near the White House, repeating false claims that the presidential election had been stolen from him.
Thousands of supporters subsequently marched to the U.S. Capitol, where they breached security, clashed with police and disrupted Congress as lawmakers met to certify President Joe Biden’s election victory.
The violence resulted in deaths, injuries to more than 140 police officers and extensive damage to the Capitol building.
Under U.S. law, failure to comply with a congressional subpoena may constitute a criminal misdemeanour punishable by imprisonment. If a witness refuses to comply, the House of Representatives may vote to refer the matter to the Department of Justice, which has the authority to determine whether criminal charges should be filed.
