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Giuliani, Former Trump Lawyer, Summoned to Testify About Capitol Invasion

The U.S. House committee investigating the US Capitol raid on Tuesday (18) subpoenaed Rudy Giuliani to testify. He is a central figure in former President Donald Trump’s failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election based on baseless allegations of widespread election fraud.

In addition to Giuliani, the committee issued subpoenas to two other lawyers who promoted various voter fraud conspiracies on Trump’s behalf: Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell.

Former Trump campaign adviser Boris Epshteyn, who was among those working with Giuliani at the post-election “command center” at the Willard Hotel, was also subpoenaed.

“The four individuals we subpoenaed today released unsubstantiated theories about voter fraud, pressured efforts to overturn election results, or were in direct contact with the former president about attempts to prevent electoral vote counting,” said Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson. , of Mississippi, who chairs the committee.

The subpoenas mark a significant step forward in the investigation, as the committee is now seeking the cooperation of those at the center of Trump’s effort to overturn the election — including Giuliani, who once served as his personal attorney — and the election fraud investigations predicated. with conspiracies.

Investigators asked witnesses about Giuliani and Powell during previous closed-door interviews, but now they want to hear directly from Trump’s former lawyers.

In its letter to Giuliani, the committee cites witness testimony and public reports that he asked Trump to confiscate the voting machines even after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told him it had no legal authority to do so.

A CNN previously reported that in December 2020, Giuliani asked former DHS employee Ken Cuccinelli if the department could seize voting machines in certain states to be re-examined for evidence of widespread voter fraud.

Cuccinelli, that a CNN previously reported having spoken with the committee, said in October that he told Giuliani that the department had no legal authority to seize ballot boxes or interfere in state elections.

The former employee also said that “no one at any level pressured us to do anything outside of our existing mission sets.”

According to a source familiar with his testimony, former New York Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik was questioned last week about Giuliani and he defended the former New York mayor as legitimately believing there was at least “probable cause” of death. electoral fraud that should be investigated and not a “big lie”.

Kerik worked alongside Giuliani in the weeks after the 2020 presidential election to find any evidence of voter fraud that could sway Trump. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the election.

As for Giuliani’s effort to seize the voting machines – Kerik told the committee this is something they looked into, talked to DHS and concluded they couldn’t do it.

Lawmakers were also asking about Powell and how she was separated from Trump’s legal team.

Paula Reid, from CNN, contributed to this report

Reference: CNN Brasil

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