The FBI found no evidence of a coordinated coup attempt on January 6, but the uncoordinated populist riot, which has produced a few convictions for trespassing or interrupting official business rather than ‘terrorism’ or ‘insurrection’ nevertheless is being used for various political purposes.
What could be more important than Medicare for All, further COVID relief, curbing the development of nuclear weapons, or climate? Focusing on history to shore up your base, that’s what. The House select committee investigating January 6 issued subpoenas to four figures in the Trump White House who either were working with or had communications with the White House in the days surrounding January 6: former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Daniel Scavino, former Defense Department official Kashyap Patel, and former Trump advisor Stephen Bannon.
The committee’s press release on the subpoenas explains that it is responding to unspecified “reports” that Meadows talked to state officials and people at the Department of Justice about the 2020 election and that he talked to individuals about the January 6 rally.
The committee reports that Scavino, who managed the former president’s social media presence, was with Trump on January 5th to discuss the certification the election. The committee continues: “Prior to the January 6th March for Trump, Mr. Scavino promoted the event on Twitter, encouraging people to ‘be a part of history.’”
Kashyap Patel was working in the Pentagon on January 6. After the election, on November 9, Trump installed a new acting secretary of defense, Christopher Miller, and the next day he appointed Patel to be Miller’s chief of staff. There, Patel prevented Pentagon officials from talking to the Biden team during the interregnum between the election and the inauguration.
Stephen Bannon had been a key Trump advisor who resigned his position in the Trump administration years earlier.
The committee has demanded the four witnesses produce documents by October 7 and appear for testimony the following week. All of these subpoenas focus on Trump’s role in January 6, despite the fact his impeachment for a second time is now increasingly distant history. So what’s the point of this ‘investigation?’
The answer: expect that as the midterms draw closer the Demopublicans will ratchet up their investigation to whip up further support.
Notes
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/exclusive-fbi-finds-scant-evidence-us-capitol-attack-was-coordinated-sources-2021-08-20/