House Panel Investigating Capitol Attack Subpoenas Proud Boys and Oath Keepers

Politics|House Panel Investigating Capitol Attack Subpoenas Proud Boys and Oath Keepers

WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Capitol onslaught issued subpoenas connected Tuesday to 3 militia oregon paramilitary groups, including the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, that investigators judge person accusation astir the deadly siege connected Jan. 6.

The subpoenas were issued to the Proud Boys International, L.L.C., and its president Henry “Enrique” Tarrio; the Oath Keepers and its president Elmer Stewart Rhodes; and the 1st Amendment Praetorian and its president Robert Patrick Lewis.

“The prime committee is seeking accusation from individuals and organizations reportedly progressive with readying the attack, with the convulsive mob that stormed the Capitol connected Jan. 6 oregon with efforts to overturn the results of the election,” Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi and the president of the committee, said successful a statement. “We judge the individuals and organizations we subpoenaed contiguous person applicable accusation astir however unit erupted astatine the Capitol and the mentation starring up to this convulsive attack.”

The committee said members of Proud Boys International called for unit earlier Jan. 6, and the Justice Department indicted astatine slightest 34 radical affiliated with the group.

People associated with the Oath Keepers were likewise progressive successful readying and participating successful the Capitol riot, the committee said, including 18 members who were indicted by a national expansive assemblage for allegedly readying a coordinated onslaught to tempest the building. Mr. Rhodes repeatedly suggested that the Oath Keepers should prosecute successful unit to guarantee their preferred predetermination outcome. He was besides allegedly successful interaction with respective of the indicted Oath Keepers members before, during and aft the Capitol attack, including gathering immoderate of them extracurricular the Capitol.

1st Amendment Praetorian is an enactment that provided information astatine aggregate rallies starring up to Jan. 6 that amplified erstwhile President Donald J. Trump’s mendacious claims of a stolen election. The group’s Twitter relationship suggested connected Jan. 4 that unit was imminent, the committee said.

“Today is the time that existent battles begin,” Mr. Lewis wrote connected Twitter connected Jan. 6. He besides claimed to beryllium progressive with “war-gaming” to proceed efforts to overturn the predetermination results, the committee said.

The sheet has issued much than 40 subpoenas and interviewed much than 200 witnesses arsenic it investigates the unit that engulfed Congress and delayed the formalization of President Biden’s victory. The latest subpoenas request records and grounds by mid-December.