China News Agency, Washington, October 21 (Reporter Sha Hanting) The Special Investigation Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on the Disturbances on Capitol Hill issued a subpoena to former U.S. President Trump on the 21st local time.
The committee sent a letter to Trump’s lawyers on the same day, demanding that Trump must come to Congress or testify by video. The hearing will begin on November 14 and will last for multiple days if necessary.
In its letter, the committee said there was "considerable evidence" that Trump "personally directed" efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, including spreading rumors that the "election was stolen," pressuring the Justice Department, multistate officials, Congress Lawmakers, as well as the then-Vice President, tried to change the outcome of the election.
Committee Chairman Thompson and Vice Chairman Cheney said they knew that subpoenaing the former president was an "important and historic move" and that they had considered it carefully.
In addition, the committee also asked Trump to provide relevant documents, including Trump's private communications with members of Congress and extremist groups.
The documents are due to be provided to the committee on November 4.
On the 13th of this month, the nine members of the House of Representatives' special investigation committee on the riots on Capitol Hill unanimously voted to subpoena Trump.
At present, Trump has not commented on the subpoena.
U.S. media said Trump could choose to testify before Congress, defy a subpoena or sue in court.
If Trump refuses to testify before Congress, the House of Representatives will vote on whether to hold him in contempt of Congress.
If the vote passes, the Justice Department will be able to indict him.
On the 21st, Bannon, the chief White House strategist during the Trump administration, was sentenced to four months in prison and a $6,500 fine for contempt of Congress.
Bannon was subpoenaed last year by the House Special Committee on the Disturbances on Capitol Hill, but Bannon refused to cooperate, and he was later indicted for contempt of Congress.
On January 6, 2021, during the count of electoral votes in the general election, a large number of Trump supporters violently stormed Congress, killing at least five people.
After nearly a year of investigation and evidence collection, the House Special Investigative Committee will start a series of public hearings on the Capitol Hill riots from June 9 this year. The committee is expected to issue the final report of the Capitol Hill riot investigation in December this year. .
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