Ex-DOJ Official Who Helped Trump Served Subpoena By Jan. 6 Committee

An ex-Justice Department official, who allegedly helped in pursuing former President Donald Trump's false election fraud claims, was served subpoena Wednesday by the committee that is investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol.

The former Department of Justice (DOJ) official, Jeffrey Clark, was an important person in a recent report about Trump's attempts to enlist the department in his efforts to overturn last year's US presidential election, reported NPR. At the time, the former President had considered replacing his acting attorney general, Jeffrey Rosen, with Clark, who was not holding a high-ranking position.

Chairman of the special committee, Bennie Thompson, said in a statement, "The Select Committee needs to understand all the details about efforts inside the previous administration to delay the certification of the 2020 election and amplify misinformation about the election results." He added that they need to understand Clark's role in these efforts at the department and find out who was involved across the administration.

Clark has been told by the panel to give records by and testify on Oct. 29. As per the recent Senate Judiciary Committee report, he had proposed delivery of a letter to Georgia state lawmakers to push for a delay in certifying results of the election. The ex-DOJ official also suggested holding a press conference to announce that the Justice Department was investigating allegations of voter fraud even though there was a lack of evidence. Those suggestions were not approved by the department's top leaders.

Meanwhile, the Democratic-majority committee made a move against Steve Bannon, a close Trump adviser, Thursday, by scheduling a vote to recommend criminal contempt charges against him after he defied a subpoena, according to Associated Press.

Thompson said that the committee will not tolerate defiance of their subpoenas, and that Bannon is “hiding behind the former president’s insufficient, blanket and vague statements regarding privileges he has purported to invoke. We reject his position entirely.”

If the committee gives a green signal, the recommendation of criminal charges would go to the full House, and then after approval they would send them to the Justice Department.

A Thursday deposition with Bannon was scheduled by the committee, but his lawyer said that the former President had directed him not to comply citing information that was potentially protected by privileges afforded to the leader of America.

Other Trump aides who have been subpoenaed seem to be negotiating. A deposition by former Defense Department official Kashyap Patel that had been scheduled for Thursday was delayed, but he is still engaging with the panel, an anonymous committee aide said. Trump social media director Dan Scavino and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows were scheduled for depositions Friday, but they have been pushed back.