Jan. 6 panel seeks phone records from Eric Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle
The Democratic-led House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is moving closer into former President Donald Trump's inner circle.
The panel is now pursuing phone records for Trump's son, Eric Trump, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr. It marks the first public reporting of the committee seeking records from the former first family.
Both Eric Trump and Guilfoyle were part of an all-star line up at former President Trump's rally on the Ellipse on Jan. 6, rallying the crowd and exhorting them to keep up the fight.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Select Committee looking into the deadly siege, recently talked to NPR about the efforts.
"Their records have been requested. We've not gotten any of them yet," he said. He added, now it is time for the panel to wait.
Thompson confirmed CNN's reporting that phone records have been requested.
He says the two new targets could have answers to critical questions in the investigation.
"The whole effort is to see what people were doing around January six. You know, who they were talking to and that kind of thing. I mean, that's important," Thompson said.
Eric Trump told NPR the demands were part of a "witch hunt."
"This partisan committee is welcome to review my phone records," Trump said in an emailed statement. "I have absolutely nothing to hide."
Guilfoyle's lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, blasted the effort.
"We know nothing about any subpoena but it is of no consequence to her because she has absolutely nothing to hide or be concerned about," he said in an emailed statement.
But Thompson reiterated that these latest requests are just part of a long list of names of interest to the panel.
"If it appears that those names would have benefit to the investigation, we'll make that request," he explained.
With the panel aiming to wrap up its investigation in the coming months, more members of the Trump family could learn of new requests as well in the coming months. [Copyright 2022 NPR]
