January 6 Committee Withdraws Trump Subpoena as Republican Majority Looms

The January 6 committee is withdrawing its subpoena of former President Donald Trump before Democrats lose control of the House and the new Republican majority dissolves the panel.

“In light of the imminent end of our investigation, the Select Committee can no longer pursue the specific information covered by the subpoena,” January 6 committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) wrote on Wednesday to Trump’s lawyer, according to CNN.

“Therefore, through this letter, I hereby formally withdraw the subpoena issued to former President Trump, and notify you that he is no longer obligated to comply or produce records in response to said subpoena,” Thompson wrote.

The House select panel voted unanimously in mid-October to subpoena Trump in connection with the Capitol riot.

The subject of the subpoena celebrated the reversal on Truth Social, the Trump-founded social media site. “Was just advised that the Unselect Committee of political Thugs has withdrawn the Subpoena of me concerning the January 6th Protest of the CROOKED 2020 Presidential Election,” Trump wrote in an update. “They probably did so because they knew I did nothing wrong, or they were about to lose in Court. Perhaps the FBI’s involvement in RIGGING the Election played into their decision. In any event, the Subpoena is DEAD!”

Similarly, one of Trump’s lawyers, Harmeet K. Dhillon, declared victory in a tweet alongside the letter from the committee: 

“After my firm filed suit on separation of powers grounds to block January 6 House Select Committee’s illegitimate subpoena to President Trump over his activities while president— the committee waved the white flag & withdrew subpoena. We were confident of victory in court, given precedent & refusal of prior presidents to testify in Congress. J6 committee wasted millions for a purely political witch-hunt, total abuse of process & power serving no legitimate legislative purpose.”

The committee already dropped subpoenas served to other notable figures—including former top Trump political advisors Stephen Miller and Roger Stone—earlier this month.

The committee held its final public meeting last week, and continues to release transcripts from witness testimony. Among many bombshell revelations include former aide Cassidy Hutchinson describing chief of staff Mark Meadows burning documents “roughly a dozen times” and former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussing the idea of removing Trump from office via the 25th Amendment. 

The panel concluded its investigation by issuing four criminal referrals against the former president—including insurrection—to the Justice Department. The DOJ, however, bears no obligation to pursue the referrals.