“We have received correspondence from the former President and his counsel regarding the Select Committee subpoena,” Speaker Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice President Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said in a joint statement. “We have informed the former President’s counsel that he must begin producing records no later than next week and remains under subpoena to testify as of November 14.” The documents were requested as part of a subpoena issued by the committee to the former president on October 21. The subpoena also led Trump to testify under oath on or about November 14. It is unclear whether he will meet that deadline. The committee’s subpoena details documents and communications that Trump is expected to produce, including phone records, text messages or any communication related to January 6, 2021, including any exchanges with members of Congress and members of militias or extremist groups regarding the 6 January. Committee members have previously said they have not yet decided how they will compel Trump to comply with the subpoena if he refuses to voluntarily cooperate. Lawmakers could move to impeach the former president. However, legal experts and lawyers representing clients involved in the investigation told The Washington Post that it is unlikely the Justice Department will ultimately prosecute Trump for contempt of Congress. The committee has yet to issue criminal charges to the Justice Department, but Cheney and Thompson make clear in the letter forwarding the subpoena notice to Trump that they believe his actions to overturn the election results were illegal. Trump has told advisers he would potentially be willing to testify live before the committee, but his lawyer did not respond to a request for comment on the status of his potential cooperation.
