In its latest round of witness subpoenas, the Jan. 6 Committee is focusing on the organizers of the Stop the Steal rally that took place on the White House ellipse.
The panel issued subpoenas on Wednesday to twelve different people, including multiple organizers of the rally.
The event later morphed into the assault on the Capitol, after former President Trump urged attendees to “fight.” Groups of rally attendees walked down the street to the Capitol building itself. Some stormed the building and briefly delayed the formalization of Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
The rally was organized by a group called Women for America First, helmed by Amy Kremer — a former Tea Party activist who figures first on the panel’s list. The panel wants information from her regarding how the rally was organized, and about potential communications with White House officials. The subpoena names former President Trump and then-chief of staff Mark Meadows.
“According to press reports, you, and others working with you and WFAF to organize the January 6th rally, collectively communicated with President Trump, White House officials including Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and others about the rally and other events planned to coincide with the certification of the 2020 Electoral College results,” a letter to Kremer from the committee reads. “Accordingly, the Select Committee seeks both documents and your deposition testimony regarding these and other matters that are within the scope of the Select Committee’s inquiry.”
Women for America First filed permits to hold the rally, which appear to include many of the same names targeted by the Committee.
The Committee also wants to speak with Caroline Wren, a former Trump campaign fundraiser who helped organize the rally, and with Cindy Chafian, another right-wing activist who told TPM last month that she made it to the Capitol steps.
“The Capitol police then popped the CS gas and we all left peacefully,” Chafian wrote to TPM. “I wasn’t there directing anyone.”
Chafian helped to organize the Stop the Steal rally before being sidelined by Wren and others, and also organized another rally on Jan. 5.
Others subpoenaed include Justin Caporale — a former aide to Melania Trump who went on to work for a production company that helped stage the event at the Ellipse — and Katrina Pierson, a spokesperson for Trump’s 2016 campaign. Maggie Mulvaney, a niece of former acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney who, according to the AP, worked for the Trump campaign and who was cited on the permit for the event, also received a subpoena. The panel said it wants to know about her role in organizing the rally.
The list of those subpoenaed are below:
