A flurry of document requests issued by the Congressional committee tasked with investigating the January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol revealed that the probe is taking a close look at Donald Trump’s ‘mental stability’ during his final months in office.
The breath of the requested documents also signals an expansive inquiry; the committee is seeking records related to communication within Trump’s inner circle before, during, and after the violent insurrection.
In addition, investigators asked for records related to Trump’s overture to officials in Georgia, Arizona, and elsewhere as he attempted to subvert the results of the 2020 election.
On Wednesday, the committee contacted eight federal agencies, including The National Archives and Records Administration, which is responsible for maintaining the records of past White House administrations. According to Politico:
The committee asked the National Archives for “all documents and communications within the White House” involving a host of Trump World denizens, including Hope Hicks, former national security adviser Robert O’Brien, Trump adviser Peter Navarro, Kayleigh McEnany, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn, Melania Trump, all Trump’s adult children except Tiffany Trump, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Rudy Giuliani and Roger Stone.
The other federal agencies who received record requests were the Justice Department, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of the Interior, the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
ABC News reports that “the requests to the Justice Department and Pentagon are focused on records related to the ‘potential invocation of the Insurrection Act’ and martial law – both proposed by several Trump allies outside the administration aiming to challenge the election results.”
More from Politico:
The select panel is also seeking records relating to attempts to place politically loyal personnel in positions across the government after the election; the planning, organization and response to Jan. 6 and earlier; and attempts to overturn the rule of law and overturn the 2020 election. One segment of the request notably seeks “documents and communications related to the mental stability of Donald Trump or his fitness for office.”
ABC News adds:
The panel is also poised to issue records preservation requests to telecommunications and social media companies, ahead of any potential subpoenas, for the phone, text, email and social media records of individuals of interest to the investigation – including, potentially members of Congress.
But the outlet warns that the committee’s requests can “spark a lengthy legal battle with the former president and his attorneys, who have criticized the inquiry and vowed to challenge efforts to obtain testimony and records.”