By Glynn Wilson –
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol announced subpoenas Tuesday demanding documents from Rudy Giuliani and the legal team that pursued false claims of voter fraud in a series of lawsuits for former President Donald J. Trump.
Chairman Bennie G. Thompson announced the subpoenas of Giuliani along with Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell and Boris Epshteyn, four individuals who publicly promoted unsupported claims about the 2020 election and participated in attempts to disrupt or delay the certification of election results, in a press release posted on the committee’s website.
The committee is demanding records and testimony from Rudolph Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer at the time and ringleader of the group, along with Jenna Ellis, who is known to have drafted a memo on how Trump could overturn the election by exploiting an obscure law. Sidney Powell, a lawyer whose organization raised millions of dollars based on false claims that election machines were rigged, was also called to testify and provide documents, along with Boris Epshteyn, who pursued allegations of election fraud in Nevada and Arizona and participated in a call with Trump on the morning of Jan. 6, “during which options were discussed to delay the certification of election results,” the committee says.
Jenna Ellis, center, at a press conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington in November: Agence France-Presse
“The Select Committee is looking into the causes that contributed to the violence on January 6th, including attempts to promote unsupported claims of election fraud and pressure campaigns to overturn the 2020 election results,” Chairman Thompson said. “The four individuals we’ve subpoenaed today advanced unsupported theories about election fraud, pushed efforts to overturn the election results, or were in direct contact with the former President about attempts to stop the counting of electoral votes.
“We expect these individuals to join the nearly 400 witnesses who have spoken with the Select Committee as the committee works to get answers for the American people about the violent attack on our democracy,” he said.
Sidney Powell speaks next to Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani at a news conference organized by the president’s legal team: AP
Boris Epshteyn, former special assistant to President Donald Trump, at the White House: AP
The Committee released these statements about each of the individuals called to testify.
Rudolph Giuliani actively promoted claims of election fraud on behalf of the former President and sought to convince state legislators to take steps to overturn the election results. He was reportedly in contact with then-President Trump and various Members of Congress regarding strategies for delaying or overturning the results of the 2020 election.
Jenna Ellis reportedly prepared and circulated two memos purporting to analyze the constitutional authority for the Vice President to reject or delay counting electoral votes from states that had submitted alternate slates of electors.
Sidney Powell actively promoted claims of election fraud on behalf of former President Trump in litigation and public appearances.
Boris Epshteyn reportedly attended meetings at the Willard Hotel in the days leading up to January 6th and had a call with former President Trump on the morning of January 6th to discuss options to delay the certification of election results in the event of Vice President Pence’s unwillingness to deny or delay the certification.
Here are the links to letters sent to those under suspicion in today’s announcement.
