Jan. 6 committee plans to vote on subpoena for Trump, sources say - NBC News

WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 onslaught connected the Capitol plans to ballot to subpoena erstwhile President Donald Trump, sources acquainted with the committee's plans told NBC News Thursday.

Members of the panel, which held what was expected to beryllium its last hearing earlier the midterm elections Thursday, had antecedently said that they were inactive considering seeking an interrogation with Trump oregon erstwhile Vice President Mike Pence.

A subpoena would travel much than a twelvemonth since the committee began investigating the insurrection and contempt aggregate members of Congress antecedently acknowledging that it was improbable Trump would comply.

Supporters of then-President Donald Trump tempest the Capitol successful Washington, D.C. connected Jan. 6, 2021.Samuel Corum / Getty Images file

Still, subpoenaing the erstwhile president had been nether information for a portion and has been an progressive taxable of treatment for committee members. On his mode into the hearing, Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told reporters the sheet had not yet ruled retired a subpoena for Trump. He said astatine the commencement of the proceeding that the committee would instrumentality a ballot "based connected caller evidence."

The committee declined to remark connected the expected vote.

Thompson clarified astatine the opening of Thursday's proceeding that it was technically a ceremonial committee concern meeting, truthful that successful summation to presenting evidence, helium said, “We tin perchance clasp a committee ballot connected further investigative enactment based upon that evidence.”

If and erstwhile it votes to subpoena Trump today, that subpoena volition expire astatine the extremity of this legislature term.

In its wide-ranging investigation, the sheet has already conducted much than 1,000 interviews and depositions. It has besides received hundreds of thousands of documents and determination are 100 subpoenas that were publically known to beryllium issued.

Thursday's proceeding would erstwhile again spot Trump astatine the halfway of plans to overturn the election, yet starring to the unit connected Jan. 6, committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said successful her opening statement.

Then-President Donald Trump speaks to supporters from the Ellipse adjacent the White House successful Washington, D.C. connected Jan. 6, 2021.Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images file

"None of this would person happened without him. He was personally and substantially progressive successful each of it," she said. "Today, we volition absorption connected President Trump’s authorities of mind, his intent, his motivations, and however helium spurred others to bash his bidding. And however different Jan. 6 could hap again if we bash not instrumentality indispensable enactment to forestall it."

Cheney besides said that the committee "may yet determine to marque a bid of transgression referrals to the Department of Justice," though she said that lawmakers "recognize that our relation is not to marque decisions regarding prosecution."

Trump would not beryllium the archetypal erstwhile president subpoenaed by Congress. Several sitting and erstwhile presidents and vice presidents person besides testified earlier legislature committees, including Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson and Gerald R. Ford.

Meanwhile, it's unclear if the committee inactive seeks to interrogation Pence, who blocked Trump's effort connected Jan. 6 to overturn the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination and who faced threats of being hanged that day.

In August, Pence said during an lawsuit successful New Hampshire that helium would see testifying earlier the House Jan. 6 committee if invited to appear, but helium suggested helium would request to benignant retired immoderate law questions earlier committing.

"If ever immoderate ceremonial invitation were rendered to us, we’d springiness it owed consideration," he said.

Thompson had antecedently suggested that Thursday would beryllium the committee's last hearing, but respective of its members person precocious said that mightiness not beryllium the case.

When asked connected MSNBC's "Morning Joe" whether determination volition beryllium further hearings, Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., said, the probe "has its ain life, and we support uncovering caller information."