Wednesday 19 January 2022

January 6 committee subpoenas the phone records of Eric Trump and Don Jr.'s fiancée Kimberley Guilfoyle: The first time the investigation has targeted a Trump family member

 The congressional investigation into the January 6 attack has reportedly obtained records of phone numbers associated with one of former President Trump's sons, Eric Trump, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr. 

It represents a fresh escalation into probe as the select committee for the first time targeted a member of Trump's family.  

The phone records were subpoenaed from communication companies, multiple sources told CNN

The details reportedly include logs that show incoming and outgoing calls, as well as text messages, but not the substance or content of the messages. 

Both Eric Trump and Guilfoyle spoke at the January 6 rally in Washington ahead of the attack on the Capitol.  

A source familiar with Eric Trump's thinking about the subpoena told CNN: 'He's not losing any sleep over it.'

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 violence has reportedly obtained records of phone numbers associated with Eric Trump

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 violence has reportedly obtained records of phone numbers associated with Eric Trump

CNN also said the House probe had obtained phone records of Kimberly Guilfoyle - who recently announced her engagement to Don Jr

CNN also said the House probe had obtained phone records of Kimberly Guilfoyle - who recently announced her engagement to Don Jr

And Joseph Tacopina, an attorney for Guilfoyle, said she had not been notified of any subpoena. 

He said she was not concerned as she had nothing to hide.

Earlier the committee issued subpoenas to some of Donald Trump's top lawyers - including Rudy Giuliani - who were central to his unsuccessful attempt to overturn last year's election defeat.

The House of Representatives committee demanded that Giuliani, and his assistant Boris Epshteyn, as well as Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis hand over documents and sit for depositions on Feb. 8.

Its chairman Bennie 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.'

The committee said it was seeking records and testimony from Giuliani in connection to his promotion of election fraud claims. 

The panel is also seeking information about Giuliani's reported efforts to persuade state legislators to take steps to overturn the election results. 

It is the latest high-profile escalation as the committee seeks to compel Trump's lawyers to hand over information despite their claims of attorney-client privilege. 

Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, was subpoenaed by the House investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on Tuesday

Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, was subpoenaed by the House investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on Tuesday

The committee said it was seeking records and testimony from Giuliani in connection to his promotion of election fraud claims

The committee said it was seeking records and testimony from Giuliani in connection to his promotion of election fraud claims

The committee says it has interviewed 400 people so are as it goes about investigating the events of Jan. 6 last year when thousands of Trump supporters marched on the U.S. Capitol

The committee says it has interviewed 400 people so are as it goes about investigating the events of Jan. 6 last year when thousands of Trump supporters marched on the U.S. Capitol

'The Select Committee's investigation has revealed credible evidence that you publicly promoted claims that the 2020 election was stolen and participated in attempts to disrupt or delay the certification of the election results based on your elections,' the committee said in its letter.

'According to witness testimony and public reporting, in December 2020, you urged President Trump to direct the seizure of voting machines around the country after being told that the Department of Homeland Security had no lawful authority to do so.' 

Robert Costello, a lawyer for Giuliani, dismissed the subpoena as 'political theater' and said his client was constrained by the legal doctrines of attorney-client privilege and executive privilege.

'I don't think there's anything here he can testify about,' Costello told the Associated Press.

Last week Thompson told CNN that the committee planned to speak to Giuliani. 

'He's an integral part of whatever happens,' Thompson said. 

Giuliani was reportedly part of a small group of Trump's inner circle that met at the Willard Hotel leading up to Jan. 6, along with Epshsteyn, Bannon and Trump attorney John Eastman. The group strategized plans to overturn the election, hours before Trump supporters mobbed the Capitol, according to the Guardian. 

Thompson himself has already sued Trump and Giuliani for allegedly conspiring to incite violence on Jan. 6. 

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sounded likely on Monday to allow lawsuits from Democratic lawmakers and Capitol police officers to move forward against Trump and his allies, despite pushes to have them thrown out. 

Sidney Powell, right, speaks next to former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani, as members of President Donald Trump's legal team, during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters on Nov. 19, 2020, in Washington

Sidney Powell, right, speaks next to former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani, as members of President Donald Trump's legal team, during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters on Nov. 19, 2020, in Washington


Trump's legal advisers were responsible for one of the most bizarre moments in the aftermath of his election defeat, when they appeared together at the Republican National Committee headquarters. 

They alleged that the election was stolen via a complex conspiracy involving voting machines and the dead Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.  

Giuliani and Powell also filed lawsuits in several swing states where they tried to overturn election results. 

Powell became notorious after appearing on Fox News claiming she had vast amounts of evidence of rigging.

'I’m going to release the Kraken,' she said. 

However, not a single court has found merit in the core legal claims made by Trump, Giuliani, Powell and the other two subpoenaed Tuesday.

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