Trump summoned, what now? Last straight line commission on January 6

In a theatrical move, the House of Commons inquiry into Capitol Storm concluded Thursday’s hearing with the announcement of Donald Trump’s subpoena. Will we see the former president testify? Where does the commission work and what will happen after the midterm elections? explanations.

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The commission is nearing its expiration date. Its life span is already tied to the current Congress, which will be significantly renewed after the November 8 parliamentary elections.

If Republicans regain control of the House of Representatives from Democrats, they intend to dissolve the committee in January.

The commission must therefore submit the report concluding its extensive investigation by the end of the year. By its own rules, it must finish its work a month after publishing its final report.

“We’re like Cinderella in the middle of the night, our license expires at the end of the year,” one of its members, Jimmy Raskin, told CBS in September.

The committee, made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans, could publish an interim text before November 8th.

Was Thursday’s session the last? The painting is still ambiguous on this subject. If Mr. Trump testifies, another session may be on the agenda.

The fiery Republican did not say whether he would comply with the subpoena.

He reacted to the announcement of his call on his Truth Social, describing in his usual angry manner the group of elected officials as “FIASCO” who had only “divided the country”.

For New York University law professor Stephen Gill, “Trump is clearly not going to comply.”

“It is possible that the Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives in January and the subpoena will expire,” he told AFP.

If Mr. Trump refuses to comply with the subpoena, he could be detained for contempt of Congress and referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution. The ministry can then decide whether to prosecute or not.

If he challenges the order in court, it could disrupt the process, possibly for months. The time the commission does not have.

Even if he appears before elected officials, he can invoke his right not to answer questions under the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution, so as not to risk incriminating himself.

Why is the committee still issuing this sudden summons?

The most likely reason, according to Professor Gillers, was that she wanted to “prevent Trump from later complaining that the commission was unfair because he never had a chance to testify.”

“The committee says, ‘This is the opportunity,'” he explains.

Is it an illusion to think that Donald Trump can appear before elected officials? Maybe not.

According to the New York Times and journalist who specializes in Donald Trump, Maggie Haberman, the former president told his relatives that he was inclined to agree to the subpoena, provided he could testify live.

Will the commission push for indictments at the highest level against Mr. Trump and those close to him?

“Our committee may ultimately decide to task the Department of Justice with a number of cases, but we recognize that our role is not to make prosecution decisions,” Liz Cheney, the commission’s vice chair, said Thursday.

The last word will be given to Attorney General Merrick Garland. Known for being methodical and cautious, the latter does not rule out anything. “Everyone criminally responsible for attempts to nullify the elections must be held accountable for their actions,” he said.

The commission can also make legislative recommendations to protect the certification process for election results, so that January 6, 2021, does not happen again.