(Trends Wide) — The House select committee investigating the January 6 riots issued a new round of subpoenas on Tuesday demanding records and testimony from three people, including a former White House official who helped write the speech delivered by the former president. Donald Trump before the assault in which he called his supporters to march on the United States Capitol.
The commission also subpoenaed two advisers to Donald Trump Jr. who the panel said were “communicating” with the former president’s son and Kimberly Guilfoyle regarding the rally at the Ellipse, which immediately preceded the attack.
The three individuals were “involved in the planning and preparations for the January 6 rally at the Elipse,” according to the commission.
The witnesses are:
- Andy Surabian and Arthur Schwartz – Strategists who served as advisers to Donald Trump, Jr. and communicated with individuals including Donald Trump, Jr. and Guilfoyle regarding the January 6 rally at the Ellipse.
- Ross Worthington: Former White House official who helped write the former president’s January 6 speech for the Ellipse rally.
“The Select Commission is seeking information from people who were involved in the Ellipse rally. The protests that day turned into an attack on our democracy. The protesters turned into rioters who carried out a violent attempt to derail the handover. peaceful powers,” commission chairman Bennie Thompson said in a statement.
“We have reason to believe that the people we have subpoenaed today have relevant information and hope that you will join the more than 340 people who have spoken to the Select Commission as we move forward with investigating this attack on our democracy and making sure that nothing like this happens again,” added Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi.
The commission claims to have documents on file showing Worthington helped craft Trump’s speech at the rally. In the subpoena letter, the panel says it wants to speak with Worthington about lines in Trump’s speech that falsely claim the 2020 election was stolen and potentially incite violence.
The commission highlights lines in Trump’s speech in which he told his supporters to “fight much harder” and “stop the stealing.” The letter also references the section of the former president’s speech in which he encouraged attendees to march to Capitol Hill and said, “I will be there with you.”
In its letter to Schwartz and Surabian, the commission highlights its interest in communications related to the planning of the rally, including concerns about certain proposed speakers such as “Stop the Steal” organizer Ali Alexander and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
They also reference communications about “appearance fees” from certain individuals who ultimately spoke at the event. Although the letters do not name those speakers, they do mention several people with whom the commission believes Schwartz and Surabian were in contact, in addition to Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle, including rally organizers Katrina Pierson and Caroline Wren, as well as like Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich.
The House select committee obtained Budowich’s financial records from JPMorgan bank in late December as part of its investigation, Trends Wide previously reported.
Budowich had previously sued the commission, asking a federal court for emergency aid the week of Christmas, to prevent the bank from handing over its records. Budowich claimed that he had already provided hundreds of documents to the commission, including about his finances, and that the panel’s lawsuit against the bank had gone too far.
But it was too late. A judge initially denied his request for help, saying it was moot.