The House select committee probing the Jan. 6 insurrection is preparing to subpoena a new round of Donald Trump “lieutenants†suspected of plotting to overturn the results of the presidential election in a “war room†in a downtown Washington, D.C., hotel, a source has told The Guardian.
The subpoenas could be issued as early as next week, according to the source.
The existence of a military-style command center was revealed in a series of Washington Post investigative stories last month.
Those involved, according to the Post, included Trump’s then-personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, former White House strategist Steve Bannon, and right-wing attorney John Eastman, who authored notorious “coup memos†that outlined ways then-Vice President Mike Pence could usurp Joe Biden’s presidential victory.
The select committee is focusing on about 20 people believed to be connected to the command center that was set up at the Willard hotel after Trump’s defeat, The Guardian reported.
Those targeted include Eastman, according to the newspaper’s source.
Eastman outlined his ideas for overturning the election results at a White House meeting Jan. 4 with Trump, Pence and Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, the Post reported.
Trump then reportedly used Eastman’s information afterward to relentlessly pressure Pence to challenge Biden’s electoral votes. Pence did not comply.
The subpoenas will reportedly seek testimony and documents about what advice was being provided to Trump at the time, and if he had any advance knowledge of the Capitol siege.
Check out the full Guardian story here.
