A defendant facing multiple charges related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot requested a subpoena Friday for former President Donald Trump to become a trial witness, according to court documents.
Attorney Samuel Shamansky submitted court filings for his client Dustin Thompson to Judge Reggie Walton of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, saying they believe Trump would testify that he and others under his leadership created a “plot to call into question the integrity of the 2020 presidential election and the validity of President Biden’s victory.” It added that they were encouraged to “fight like hell” and “engage in a trial by combat” by other members of Trump’s administration to stop Congress from certifying the results.
“Defendant submits that the individuals he seeks to subpoena are in exclusive possession of information relevant to this case. Moreover, their testimony is necessary to ensure that Defendant’s constitutional right to present a complete defense is safeguarded,” the Thursday court filings read, according to The Hill.
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Shamansky said they intend to subpoena other members of Trump’s inner circle as well, including Donald Trump Jr., former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon, former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, conservative lawyer John Eastman, and pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell.
“If and when Judge Walton approves our issues for a subpoena, we fully expect Trump and his co-conspirators to utilize every legal trick in the book to avoid being placed under oath,” Shamansky said.
Thompson faces a total of six charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding and theft of government property, in relation to last year’s Capitol riot.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Thompson was seen on security footage inside the Capitol building with a bottle of bourbon, according to the case’s statement of facts. He picked up a coat rack that appeared to have been taken from the Capitol, put it down when instructed by law enforcement, and fled the scene when stopped by U.S. Capitol Police, the criminal complaint read.
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The judge has not issued a ruling on the subpoena yet, but Shamansky said he believes a decision will come soon.
Representatives for the Department of Justice did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
