January 6 committee orders Donald Trump to testify in November

House committee files subpoena calling for 'historic' deposition of a former US president

'There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonour will remain.' Congresswoman and January 6 committee vice chairwoman Liz Cheney to Republican colleagues who have defended Mr Trump's claims of election fraud. AFP

'January 6 was the culmination of an attempted coup - a brazen attempt, as one rioter put it shortly after January 6 - to overthrow the government.' Committee chairman Bennie Thompson. EPA

Mr Trump 'was willing to sacrifice our republic to prolong his presidency. I can imagine no more dishonourable acts by a president.' Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger. AFP

Donald Trump had this 'arsenal of allegations. I went through them piece by piece to say, no, they were not true'. Former acting deputy attorney general Richard Donoghue. EPA

'There were no votes to find.' Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after Donald Trump asked him and his deputy, Gabriel Sterling, to 'find 11,780' votes that could flip Georgia in the president's favour. AFP

Competing against Donald Trump’s lies was like a 'shovel trying to empty the ocean'. Gabriel Sterling, Georgia Secretary of State chief operating officer. AFP

'As an American, I was disgusted. It was unpatriotic, it was un-American. We were watching the Capitol building get defaced over a lie.' Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to then White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, speaking about the insurrection. AFP

'I told him [Donald Trump] that the stuff his people were shovelling out to the public was bull***t.' Former attorney general William Barr. AP

'I respect attorney general Barr. So, I accepted what he was saying.' Ivanka Trump, former White House senior adviser. AP

'We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country any more.' Donald Trump on January 6, 2021. Reuters

A Confederate battle flag that reads 'Come and Take It' and shows a military-style rifle flies as rioters storm the Capitol on January 6, 2001. Reuters

A Trump supporter sprays smoke. Reuters

Police attempt to push the mob back. AFP

The pro-Trump mob swarms the Capitol as police release tear gas. Reuters

Protesters clash with police. Reuters

Pro-Trump protesters storm into the US Capitol. Reuters

A police flash-bang blast lights up the Capitol. Reuters

Before the insurrection, Mr Trump is seen on a screen speaking to supporters during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 US presidential election results. Reuters

People march with those who say they are members of the Proud Boys as they attend a rally in Washington in support of former president Donald Trump. AP

The House of Representatives subcommittee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol sent a formal subpoena to former president Donald Trump on Friday, ordering him to testify under oath as part of its probe.

“We have assembled overwhelming evidence [ …] that you personally orchestrated and oversaw a multi-part effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election and to obstruct the peaceful transition of power,” the subpoena read.

The panel said Mr Trump has to speak before the panel under oath on November 14 for one or two days, and provide relevant documents 10 days prior.

A law firm representing Mr Trump regarding the subpoena told The Associated Press on Friday: “We understand that, once again, flouting norms and appropriate and customary process, the committee has publicly released a copy of its subpoena.

"As with any similar matter, we will review and analyse it and will respond as appropriate to this unprecedented action.”

The nine-member bipartisan committee unanimously voted last week to subpoena Mr Trump as part of its last public hearing during which it shared its findings on his reported involvement in the deadly Capitol attack.

During the violent insurrection, Trump supporters stormed the seat of the US government to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election that Joe Biden won. Five people died in connection to the attack.

“We are considering multiple legislative recommendations intended to provide further assurance that no future president could succeed at anything even remotely similar to the unlawful steps you took to overturn the election,” the committee's chairman Bennie Thompson and vice chairwoman Liz Cheney wrote to Mr Trump.

“We recognise that a subpoena to a former president is a significant and historic action. We do not take this action lightly.”

Mr Trump responded to the unprecedented move last week by publicly slamming the panel and its investigation as a “witch hunt” in a letter, while reportedly considering the prospect of meeting the group.

The former president could choose to defy or ignore the subpoena, which may result in contempt of Congress charges.

Steve Bannon, Mr Trump's former strategist, was sentenced to four months in prison and a fine on Friday for refusing to speak with the panel.

Pressing charges involves the approval of the entire House, before a criminal referral is passed on to the US Department of Justice. The agency may not take up a such referral as it has not charged Mr Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows for contempt.

The committee is on a tight deadline as the panel is expected to dissolve at the beginning of 2023 when the new Congress is introduced following the November midterm elections, and the House is expected to then be in Republican control.

The committee members plan to issue a report after having "interviewed more than a thousand witnesses [and] reviewed over a million documents" at the end of the year, which may include criminal referrals to the Justice Department.

Mr Fanone, Mr Hodges, US Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, and Mr Dunn listen to witness testimony and evidence presented by the January 6 committee. Getty Images / AFP

US Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn had been on the force for 15 years when the January 6 attack took place. EPA

A video of Roger Stone, former adviser to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, is played on a screen during the latest hearings. Getty

Indicted on charges of lying to Congress about what he and then-candidate Mr Trump knew about Russian efforts to discredit Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign, witness tampering and obstruction, Stone had a 40-month prison sentence commuted by the former president. Getty

In an audio recording, former US president Donald Trump asks Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's secretary of state, to find votes to tip the state in his favour. Bloomberg

Text excerpts from a Tom Fitton email to Molly Michael and Dan Scavino are displayed during the hearing. Reuters

Former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone has been present for all nine of the January 6 hearings. EPA

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the pardoning of Roger Stone, 'an act of staggering corruption'. Reuters

Committee member Congressman Adam Schiff represents the state of California. Reuters

Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges was crushed by a pro-Trump mob in a tunnel leading to the US Capitol on January 6. EPA

The Committee plays a video of Mr Trump declaring that he won the presidential election. EPA

Mr Trump has to date never conceded that he lost the 2020 presidential election. AFP

Committee chairman Bennie Thompson presides during the public hearing. Reuters