The Jan. 6 select panel’s subpoenas of 5 House Republicans is a huge risk by any measure — it could fail to yield new evidence while piling additional stress on an institution already buckling under partisan strain
And the committee is operating on an expedited timeline. It’s scheduled about two weeks of highly anticipated public hearings on the insurrection and the run-up to it, beginning June 9. Members are hoping to lay out the bulk of their findings in what they say will be a multimedia-heavy presentation.
Should one or more of the five subpoenaed House Republicans legally challenge their subpoenas, it could create a legal confrontation at the same time the committee launches its carefully crafted schedule of public hearings. Congressional committees have subpoenaed lawmakers before almost entirely in the context of ethics investigations, but the Jan. 6 committee’s summonses are a significant effort to expand that power.
Federal courts have so far reacted coolly to those claims. U.S. District Court Judge Tim Kelly, a Trump appointee, recently swept aside similar arguments in a lawsuit brought by the Republican National Committee, and at least two other judges have reached similar conclusions. “For people who don’t take the rule of law seriously, a subpoena has no more meaning than a sticky note,” Raskin said. “But for people who do take the rule of law seriously, a subpoena has some legitimacy and moral force to it.”
Congressional investigators have already completed hundreds of interviews with witnesses and obtained thousands of documents, so even if the panel failed to obtain the testimony from the five GOP lawmakers, Thompson indicated their final report could stand on its own. Brooks, for example, essentially dared Jan. 6 investigators to subpoena him earlier this month and vowed at the time to “fight.” But on Thursday, after criticizing the panel as a “witch hunt,” he said he would consult with the other four GOP targets about a unified response.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jan. 6 panel subpoenas House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, 4 other GOP lawmakersA House panel has issued subpoenas to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP lawmakers as part of its probe into the violent Jan. 6 insurrection.
Read more »
Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Kevin McCarthy, 4 other GOP House members allied with TrumpThe House Committee on Thursday subpoenaed five representatives who refused to voluntarily testify before Congress.
Read more »
In 'Political Tsunami,' House Jan. 6 Committee Subpoenas GOP Lawmakers Including McCarthy'We wished to provide members the opportunity to discuss these matters with the committee voluntarily,' said the chair of the House committee investigating the January 6 attack. 'Regrettably, the individuals receiving subpoenas today have refused.'
Read more »
House Jan. 6 committee subpoenas 5 House Republicans, including McCarthyThe House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol subpoenaed five of their own House colleagues Thursday as they try to uncover what sparked the riot.
Read more »
Jan. 6 Panel Subpoenas Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry, Four Other GOP LawmakersThe panel had previously asked for voluntary cooperation from the five men, but all of them refused to speak with the panel.
Read more »
Jan. 6 panel subpoenas GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, 4 other lawmakersThe Jan. 6 panel’s subpoenas for McCarthy, R-Calif., and Republican Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Mo Brooks of Alabama come as the investigation is winding down and as the panel prepares for a series of public hearings this summer.
Read more »