More than 30 people connected to former US President Donald Trump received federal grand jury subpoenas in recent days as the Department of Justice (DOJ) intensifies its ongoing investigation into the January 6, 2021 Capital breach, according to CBS News.
The US broadcaster cited unnamed sources as saying that the subpoenas had been sent to employees and contractors for the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee, including poll watchers.
The sources claimed that “the identities of those subpoenaed range from household names to mostly unknown, low-level field staffers.”
According to the insiders, close Trump aide Will Russell, as well as former White House senior aides Stephen Miller and Brian Jack received the subpoenas, which require that individuals provide documents and any communication between themselves and Trump allies like Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell.
Giuliani, Trump’s former personal attorney, is currently dealing with several lawsuits, mostly related to his backing of the ex-POTUS and his statements regarding alleged election fraud in the US 2020 presidential election.
Former federal prosecutor Powell is in turn known for her attempts to overturn the 2020 US election results , which prodded the State Bar of Texas to seek sanctions against her including possible disbarment.
CBS News also quoted Virginia-based attorney David Warrington as saying that at least some of the subpoenas compel recipients to appear before a grand jury on September 23rd at a Washington, DC district courthouse. Warrington told the broadcaster that he represents about a dozen clients who have received the subpoenas.
The developments come after the Washington Post reported in late April that the DOJ’s criminal investigation into the US Capitol breach on January 6, 2021 had expanded beyond the actual storming of the seat of legislative power to examine preparations for a rally of Trump supporters that took place before those turbulent events.
Unnamed sources told the newspaper at the time that the DOJ intends to look into the planning, funding and actual execution of the Trump rally, as well as the conspiracy theories that purportedly surrounded the event.
On January 6, 2021, a mob including Trump supporters breached the US Capitol building following a rally held by the 45th US president outside the White House at which the ex-POTUS alleged that Democrat Joe Biden had won the November 2020 election fraudulently.
The protesters tried to prevent Congress from certifying an election victory by Democrat Joe Biden. Five people, including a Capitol police officer, died in the wake of the events.
Trump was accused of "incitement of insurrection" despite finally having called on his supporters, via his now-suspended Twitter account, "to stay peaceful" and "go home", and recording a video address on January 7th condemning the violence. He was impeached for an unprecedented second time over the accusations, but was later acquitted in the Senate.