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WASHINGTON — The Home committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol mentioned on Friday that it might compel Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancée of former President Donald J. Trump’s eldest son, to testify after she abruptly ended a voluntary interview with the panel.
Ms. Guilfoyle, a tv character who’s engaged to Donald Trump Jr., met just about with the committee’s workers investigators on Friday after she offered paperwork the committee described as “germane” to its inquiry. However she turned agitated and minimize off the questioning upon studying that members of the committee — together with Representatives Adam B. Schiff of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland, each Democrats, and Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the panel’s prime Republican — had been collaborating within the session, in line with folks acquainted with the scenario who spoke in regards to the confidential interview on the situation of anonymity.
Members of the committee routinely participate within the panel’s interviews of high-profile witnesses.
When information of the interview leaked to information media shops, Ms. Guilfoyle refused to proceed, and her lawyer accused the panel of making an attempt to “sandbag” her and utilizing her participation within the inquiry as a “political weapon” towards the previous president.
“Ms. Guilfoyle, beneath risk of subpoena, agreed to satisfy completely with counsel for the choose committee in a good-faith effort to offer true and related proof,” Ms. Guilfoyle’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, mentioned in an announcement after the interview fell aside. “Nonetheless, upon Ms. Guilfoyle’s attendance, the committee revealed its untrustworthiness, as members infamous for leaking info appeared.”
When he requested for a break to handle the difficulty, Mr. Tacopina mentioned, the panel leaked the incident to reporters.
A spokesman for the committee denied having accomplished so, and mentioned Ms. Guilfoyle’s refusal to cooperate had left the panel with no selection however to make use of its subpoena energy to pressure her to testify.
“The choose committee had hoped she would do as dozens of different witnesses have accomplished: take part in a voluntary transcribed interview with workers and committee members,” mentioned Tim Mulvey, the spokesman. “Ms. Guilfoyle has now declined to take action, forcing the choose committee to compel her testimony at an upcoming deposition.”
Ms. Guilfoyle has mentioned she raised hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to assist fund the rally that preceded the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. She was seen dancing in a backstage space to the Laura Branigan tune “Gloria” earlier than the mob assault. Her lawyer denied she had something to do with the violence that broke out.
“They’ll do what they’re going to do,” Mr. Tacopina mentioned of the committee’s risk of a subpoena. “Clearly, belief has gone out the window. On the finish of day, Kimberly has accomplished nothing unsuitable.”
The committee has interviewed greater than 550 witnesses, however has debated internally how aggressive to be in pursuing members of the previous president’s household.
The panel subpoenaed telephone data from Ms. Guilfoyle and Eric Trump, the previous president’s second-eldest son, however has opted for a prolonged technique of negotiations for the voluntary testimony of Ivanka Trump, the previous president’s eldest daughter, who suggested him within the White Home.
A spokeswoman for Ms. Trump mentioned this week she was “in discussions with the committee to voluntarily seem for an interview.”
On Friday, the panel additionally heard testimony from two Georgia Republicans who had been concerned within the plan to make use of slates of faux “alternate electors” in key states gained by President Biden to attempt to preserve former President Trump in workplace.
Capitol Riot’s Aftermath: Key Developments
David Shafer, the state occasion chairman, and Shawn Nonetheless, the previous occasion secretary, informed the panel that they put their names ahead as pro-Trump electors in session with the Trump marketing campaign, in line with their lawyer.
Bob Driscoll, a lawyer for each witnesses, argued in an announcement that the boys had accomplished nothing unsuitable, and had been performing solely “provisionally” to “shield a treatment within the occasion President Trump finally succeeded.”
“There was nothing secret or surreptitious in regards to the assembly,” Mr. Driscoll mentioned, including that the pro-Trump electors voted in public on Dec. 14, 2020, with the information media in attendance.
The committee says the Georgia Republicans then despatched to Congress an alleged “Certificates of the Votes,” which was used as a justification to attempt to delay or block the certification of the election for Mr. Biden throughout the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021.
Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.
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