Donald Trump has been subpoenaed to testify in an investigation into last year’s U.S. Capitol riots.
The committee overseeing the investigation into the deadly attack in Washington, D.C., has demanded testimony and records from the former president, saying he “mastered” a plot to overturn the 2020 election.
Chairman Benny Thompson and Vice Chairman Liz Cheney wrote in a letter to Trump: “We recognize that issuing a subpoena to the former president is a significant and historic action.”
“We will not take this action lightly,” they added.
Lawmakers said the former president was the “core reason” for a coordinated effort to overturn the 2020 election result.
The nine-member panel has written to Mr. Trump’s lawyers, asking him to testify under oath by Nov. 14.
The letter also requested a series of corresponding documents, including personal communications between the former president and members of Congress and extremist groups.
It is unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena.
Former White House adviser Steve Bannon jailed for four months for not appearing before the committee.
He was convicted of ignoring a subpoena and fined $6,500.
Trump ‘at center of bloody attack on Capitol’
The letter doesn’t shy away from putting the allegations directly at Trump’s feet.
Chairman Thompson and Vice Chairman Cheney wrote that the committee gathered “overwhelming evidence” that Trump “personally planned and oversaw a multifaceted effort to overthrow the 2020 presidential election and impede a peaceful transition of power.”
It highlighted that the former president sought to overturn the election on baseless accusations of voter fraud.
The letter continued: “Despite more than 60 court rulings dismissing your election fraud charges and other challenges to the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, you took all these actions despite the Justice Department and your senior campaign The team provided specific and detailed information. The staff informs you that your election claim is false, despite your obligation as president to ensure that the laws of our country are faithfully enforced.
“In short, you were at the center of the first and only time an American president overturned an election and blocked a peaceful transition of power, culminating in a bloody attack on our own Capitol and Congress itself.”
‘Former presidents are just citizens like anyone else’
Chairman Thompson and Vice Chairman Cheney also made clear the subpoenas for Mr. Trump’s actions are not unprecedented, and presidents have a long history of giving evidence to Congress.
The letter also quoted President Roosevelt, who said “the former president was only a citizen of the United States, just like any other citizen” to remind Mr. Trump of his obligation to appear on the committee.