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Jan. 6 rally organizers issued subpoenas

Select panel demands records and testimony from people who had role in organizing rallies on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6

Trump supporters occupy the West Front of the Capitol and the inauguration stands on Jan. 6.
Trump supporters occupy the West Front of the Capitol and the inauguration stands on Jan. 6. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol has issued subpoenas to six individuals involved in planning rallies that preceded the violent insurrection.

The subpoenas announced on Friday demand records and testimony from people who had a role in organizing the rallies in Washington on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, which includes those who worked directly with President Donald Trump to plan the rally on the Ellipse immediately before his supporters stormed the Capitol. All are required to produce documents by Dec. 23.

Robert “Bobby” Peede Jr. and Max Miller met with Trump in his private dining room on Jan. 4 to talk about the upcoming rally at the Ellipse to support his false claims that the presidential election was stolen and about the people Trump wanted to speak at the gathering, the committee said. Also present at the meeting was Katrina Pierson, a former Trump campaign official who was issued a subpoena in September. Miller, now a House candidate in Ohio, and Peede are required to testify on Jan. 6 and 7, respectively.

Brian Jack, who was Trump’s director of political affairs, reached out to members of Congress on Trump’s behalf, asking them to speak at the rally on the Ellipse, according to the Jan. 6 panel. One of those lawmakers, Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., spoke at the rally and later told the press he wore body armor during his speech because he was warned of potential risks, the select committee said in its letter to Jack. He is scheduled to sit for a deposition on Jan. 10.

Bryan Lewis obtained a rally permit near the Capitol on Jan. 6 to “urge Congress to nullify electoral votes from states that made illegal changes to voting rules during their elections,” the panel said. His deposition is slated for Jan. 4.

Ed Martin was an organizer for the so-called Stop the Steal effort and involved in planning and financing the protest before the riot, according to the Jan. 6 committee. His deposition is set for Jan. 5.

Kimberly Fletcher helped organize a Jan. 5 rally at Freedom Plaza with her group Moms for America was also involved in the Jan. 6 rally at the Ellipse, according to the panel. She is required to testify Jan. 4.

“The Select Committee is seeking information from individuals who were involved in or witnesses to the coordination and planning of the events leading up to the violent attack on our democracy on January 6th,” House Jan. 6 select committee Chairperson Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in a statement. “Some of the witnesses we subpoenaed today apparently worked to stage the rallies on January 5th and 6th, and some appeared to have had direct communication with the former President regarding the rally at the Ellipse directly preceding the attack on the U.S. Capitol.”

Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said Thursday that nearly 300 witnesses have met with the panel and that they are conducting multiple interviews and depositions weekly.

The committee plans to meet Monday to advance a report recommending former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows be held in contempt of Congress. The full House is expected to vote Tuesday to refer him for prosecution by the Justice Department. Meadows is suing the select committee, alleging, among other things, that the panel is exceeding its congressional authority.

Meanwhile, an appeals court on Thursday denied Trump’s request to stop certain White House records from reaching the Jan. 6 committee; however, Trump’s lawyers have indicated they will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

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