Trump phone records could be sought by Capitol attack panel, reports say
- Telephone companies reportedly asked to preserve records
- Records of Trump and family could be among those requested
Last modified on Mon 30 Aug 2021 16.41 EDT
Donald Trump’s phone records from the day of the 6 January Capitol insurrection could be among those requested by the congressional committee looking into the deadly attack, it was reported on Monday.
An anonymous source close to the inquiry told CNN that certain telephone companies have been asked to preserve records of people involved in organizing the rally that preceded the riot, following which more than 600 were arrested.
Last week the special House panel, predominantly Democratic but with two Republican members, Trump critics Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, ordered federal agencies and social media companies to hand over records related to the violence by extremist Trump supporters seeking to overturn Joe Biden’s election win.
The records of the former president and those of some of his family were probably included in a third round of requests made by the committee, CNN and Reuters reported, along with those of Trump’s political allies thought to have spoken with him that day.
The names mentioned in what CNN said is an “evolving” list include Republicans Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jody Hice of Georgia, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar of Arizona, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Louie Gohmert of Texas, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.
It is unclear if the committee has the power to subpoena the records of members of Congress, or those of the private telecommunications companies, setting up the prospect of a legal battle.
According to the sources CNN spoke with, the group “was targeted because the committee concluded each of these lawmakers played some role in the Stop the Steal rally. They either attended, spoke, actively planned or encouraged people to attend.”
The committee’s chair, Mississippi Democrat Bennie Thompson, has previously said that the panel would be asking for the phone records of “several hundred” individuals, but has not named any of them.
But CNN said it learned that Trump’s records, along with those of his daughter and former White House adviser Ivanka, and his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, were likely among the latest requests for preservation.
Jordan, a vocal Trump supporter, could be a key figure, Politico reported, because he is thought to have spoken to Trump at least twice as the riot unfolded, and joined Gaetz in a call urging him to stand down the rioters.
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Source: US Politics - theguardian.com