Trump subpoenaed by House Jan. 6 committee

The House Jan. 6 committee issued a subpoena Friday to former President Trump, calling him the “central cause” of a coordinated effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Committee members voted unanimously at their Oct. 13 hearing to subpoena the former president as part of its investigation into what led to the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. The subpoena, which was sent to his lawyers Friday along with a letter outlining the committee’s findings, orders Trump to produce documents by Nov. 4 and appear for what could be a multiday deposition under oath by 10 a.m. Nov. 14.

“As demonstrated in our hearings, we have assembled overwhelming evidence, including from dozens of your former appointees and staff, that you personally orchestrated and oversaw a multi-part effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election and to obstruct the peaceful transition of power,” the letter states.

Over months of hearings, the committee has argued that blame for the insurrection should be placed squarely on Trump’s efforts to stay in power despite knowing he had lost the election. Though the subpoena contains a significant amount of detail about what the committee is seeking from the former president, it could end up being largely symbolic because of time constraints.

In its letter, the committee again lays out its case and accuses Trump of maliciously spreading false information that the 2020 election was stolen despite knowing it was false; attempting to corrupt the Justice Department; pressuring state officials to change election results; and overseeing an effort to submit false election result certificates to the National Archives. It also accuses him of pressuring then-Vice President Mike Pence to illegally reject state electors, filing false information in court, and inciting violence at the Capitol and refusing to send supporters home.

“In short, you were at the center of the first and only effort by any U.S. president to overturn an election and obstruct the peaceful transition of power, ultimately culminating in a bloody attack on our own Capitol and on the Congress itself,” the letter states.

David A. Warrington, a partner at Dhillon Law Group, the California-based firm Trump tapped to handle the subpoena, called releasing the subpoena unprecedented.

“We understand that, once again, flouting norms and appropriate and customary process, the committee has publicly released a copy of its subpoena. As with any similar matter, we will review and analyze it, and will respond as appropriate to this unprecedented action,” Warrington said.

The committee has previously announced subpoenas it was issuing and released accompanying letters, but has generally not released a list of requested documents or the actual subpoena.

The committee’s letter, which was signed by its chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), and vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), instructs Trump to produce documents in 19 categories including messages sent by Trump or that Trump ordered to be sent on Jan. 6; all communications or notes from conversations he had with members of Congress between election day and Jan. 6; and notes or memos about…