Trump gets another week to comply with Jan. 6 committee document subpoena

On Nov 5, 2022

Former president Donald Trump will have an additional week to meet the deadline to turn over documents to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“We have received correspondence from the former President and his counsel in connection with the Select Committee’s subpoena,” Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said in a joint statement Friday evening. “We have informed the former President’s counsel that he must begin producing records no later than next week and he remains under subpoena for deposition testimony starting on November 14th.”

The documents were requested as a part of the subpoena issued by the committee to the former president on Oct. 21. The subpoena also directed that Trump testify under oath on or about Nov. 14 as well. It’s unclear whether he will comply with that deadline.

The committee’s subpoena lists detailed documents and communications Trump is expected to produce, including telephone records, text messages or any communications related to Jan. 6, 2021, including any exchanges with members of Congress and members of militia or extremist groups regarding Jan. 6.

Committee members have previously said that they have not yet resolved how to compel Trump to comply with the subpoena if he refuses to voluntarily cooperate. Lawmakers could move to hold the former president in contempt. But legal experts and lawyers representing clients involved in the investigation told The Washington Post that it’s unlikely the Justice Department would ultimately prosecute Trump for contempt of Congress.

The committee has yet to issue any criminal referrals to the Justice Department, but Cheney and Thompson make clear in the letter transmitting notice of the subpoena to Trump that they believe his actions to overturn the election results were unlawful.

Trump has told advisers he’d be potentially willing to testify live before the committee but his lawyer did not respond to a request for comment on the status of his potential cooperation.