January 6 Committee Subpoenas Trump Jr. Associates Who Had No Involvement

The January 6 committee has now set its crosshairs on two Donald Trump Jr. associates who had no involvement in the rally on Capitol Hill prior to the riot.

Submitted on Tuesday, the subpoena called for Andrew Surabian and Arthur Schwartz to “provide documents by Jan. 24 and appear for depositions between Jan. 31 and Feb. 2,” according to Politico.

Andrew Surabian worked for the Trump 2020 campaign while Arthur Schwartz served as a close adviser to Donald Trump Jr. The committee also issued a subpoena for President Donald Trump’s speechwriter, Ross Worthington, who helped draft the president’s address at the January 6 rally prior to the riot. Panel chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said the committee has “reason to believe” the three hold “relevant information” pertaining to the January 6 riot.

The Select Committee is seeking information from individuals who were involved with the rally at the Ellipse. Protests on that day escalated into an attack on our democracy. We have reason to believe the individuals we’ve subpoenaed today have relevant information and we expect them to join the more than 340 individuals who have spoken with the Select Committee as we push ahead to investigate this attack on our democracy and ensure nothing like this ever happens again.

Thompson emphasized in his letters to Surabian and Schwartz that the committee wanted to investigate the pair’s contacts with January 6 rally figures: Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich, Trump adviser Katrina Pierson, Publix heiress Julie Fancelli, and GOP fundraiser Caroline Wren.

Daniel Bean, a lawyer for Surabian, said in a statement that while he will comply with the committee, it made little sense for them to issue a subpoena:

While we plan on cooperating with the Committee within reason, we are bewildered as to why Mr. Surabian is being subpoenaed in the first place. He had nothing at all to do with the events that took place at the [Capitol] that day, zero involvement in organizing the rally that preceded it and was off the payroll of the Trump campaign as of November 15, 2020.

“During the time period that the rally was being organized, Mr. Surabian was overseeing a Super PAC in support of Republican Senate candidates in Georgia,” added Bean.

Bean also pointed out Surabian is currently serving on a Super PAC opposing the reelection of January 6 committee member Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), suggesting that the subpoena is an attempt to silence political opponents.

“Accordingly, we believe this is nothing more than harassment of the Committee’s political opponents and is un-American to the core,” Bean said.

GOP fundraiser Caroline Wren likewise stated that “no two people had less to do with the events in D.C. on January 6th than Arthur Schwartz and Andy Surabian,” asserting that the subpoena is ” just another example of the select committee attempting to indict and humiliate supporters of President Trump.”