President Donald Trump is urging four former aides who were subpoenaed by the House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection to ignore the request for testimony and documents related to the Jan. 6 riot. The ex-Trump officials include former social media czar Dan Scavino, former Defense Department official Kash Patel, former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and former White House adviser Steve Bannon. In a letter obtained by Politico, Trump’s lawyer insisted any materials about the former president’s work or duties in the White House are still protected by executive privilege. “President Trump is prepared to defend these fundamental privileges in court,” his letter said. It’s unclear how the committee will try to enforce the subpoenas of the Trump-allied foursome, but members of the panel—which includes seven Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans—have said they may ask the Justice Department to prosecute witnesses who refuse to comply.
