Donald Trump has been formally subpoenaed by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The subpoena requires Trump to turn over documents by Nov. 4 and to appear for one or several days of deposition under oath beginning on Nov. 14.
"We recognize that a subpoena to a former President is a significant and historic step," Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., wrote in a letter to Trump on Friday. "We do not take this action lightly."
Several hours later, an attorney for Trump responded to the subpoena, accusing the committee of "flouting norms."
"We are going to be handling this matter as counsel for President Donald J. Trump. 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 analyze it, and will respond as appropriate to this unprecedented action," said David Warrington, a partner at Dhillon Law Group.
Rep. Thompson previously said the committee had an "obligation" to seek an interview with the former president, who they've argued was central in an attempted coup to remain in office."As demonstrated in our hearings, we have assembled overwhelming evidence, including from dozens of your former appointees and staff, that you personally orchestrated and oversaw a multi-part effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election and to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power," the committee chairs wrote Friday.
That effort, Thompson and Cheney wrote, included attempts to "corrupt the Department of Justice" and "maliciously disseminating false allegations of fraud" as well as "summoning tens of thousands" of supporters to Washington.
The unanimous decision to compel Trump's testimony came at the end of the panel's tenth -- and possible last -- hearing, which again focused on Trump's behavior in the days before and after the riot.
The committee wants Trump to testify about his interactions with several individuals who've invoked their Fifth Amendment rights when questioned by the committee. That list includes his former political adviser Roger Stone; former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn; Trump's former elections lawyer John Eastman; former Trump Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark; and chair of the Arizona Republican Party Kelli Ward.
"These Fifth Amendment assertions -- made by persons with whom you interacted -- related directly to you and your conduct," the two panel leaders wrote in their Friday letter. "They provide specific examples where your truthful testimony under oath will be important."