DOJ Issues 40 Subpoenas in Jan. 6 Inquiry

Facts

• The US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) has sent former Pres. Trump's aides approx. 40 subpoenas in a bid to acquire more information about the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and 2020 election, people familiar with the investigation revealed Monday.
• DOJ officials have also reportedly seized the phones of two top Trump advisers: Boris Epshteyn, an in-house counsel who helps coordinate his legal efforts, and Mike Roman, a campaign strategist who was the director of Election Day operations for the Trump campaign in 2020.
• Epshteyn and Roman have been linked to Trump's controversial elections claims, as the two were part of the effort to name slates of electors pledged to Trump from swing states won by Biden in 2020.
• Some of the subpoenas also seek information on Trump's "Save America" political fundraising group, which has been reported as a new line of inquiry by the DOJ.
• Several people who are still close Trump allies, including former White House social media director Dan Scavino, were among those that reportedly received subpoenas.

Sources: New York Times, Reuters, and Week.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Politico. The walls are closing in on the former president, and these recent subpoenas are an important step in holding Trump and his allies accountable for trying to subvert American democracy and promulgating false and debunked election claims. The DOJ is following protocol and is undertaking a fair investigation of Trump's wrongdoings.
• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Breitbart. The Democrats will do anything to prevent Trump from running in the 2024 election because they fear the aspirations of the American people, as evidenced by Biden's polling numbers. The Biden admin. is leveraging the DOJ for political gain. Trump has legitimate concerns about the 2020 election and has pursued his goals legally.