The House Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection has subpoenaed a lawyer who had reportedly been in contact with then-President Donald Trump the same day a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
The committee on Tuesday issued letters to six witnesses demanding documents and testimony for what it described as their roles seeking to overturn the election in the leadup to the insurrection. Since being formed last year, the committee has turned its attention in recent months to how efforts by Trump and his inner circle to stay in power allegedly played into the attack.
Of the newly subpoenaed witnesses is Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who previously assisted with unsuccessful efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. The committee's letter to Olsen states that he had "multiple telephone calls" with Trump on January 6 after previously providing legal assistance to help the then-president overturn the election.
Specifically, the letter points to Olsen's reported actions days before a mob seeking to block the certification of the 2020 election stormed the Capitol. Olsen, the letter states, contacted high-level U.S. Justice Department officials at Trump's direction to discuss bringing a last minute challenge to the election results based on a similar case already rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Additionally, Olsen reportedly drafted an executive order to be signed by Trump that would have directed the Justice Department "to take voter action," according to the letter. The letter does not explain what it means by the phrase.
During Trump's final days in office, Olsen's name appeared on a set of notes that MyPillow CEO and Trump ally Mike Lindell was photographed carrying after a White House meeting.
Newsweek could not reach Olsen for contact Tuesday afternoon.
The January 6 committee said in a statement that the most recent batch of subpoenas are directed at individuals "who promoted false claims that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent and participated in, or encouraged, various actions based on those false claims."
Among others subpoenaed include: Cleta Mitchell, who the committee says assisted Trump with efforts to overturn the election results in Georgia; Kenneth Chesebro, who the committee says supported using "slates of bogus electors"; Phillip Kline, who the committee says who lobbied state legislators to back a delay in the election certification; in addition to Christina Bobb and Katherine Friess, who the committee says both helped draft an executive order to seize voting machines.
"The six individuals we've subpoenaed today all have knowledge related to those matters and will help the Select Committee better understand all the various strategies employed to potentially affect the outcome of the election," Representative Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat who chairs the committee, said in a statement.
Thompson added that the the committee expects the witnesses to join "the hundreds who have cooperated" with the committee as it seeks answer "about the violence of January 6th and its causes."
Newsweek has reached out the January 6 committee for comment.
