The House committee investigating the assault on the U.S. Capitol called Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancée of former President Donald Trump’s eldest son, to appear Thursday after she abruptly ended a voluntary interview with lawmakers last week.
The panel is seeking additional testimony and records from Guilfoyle, who delivered a brief speech during Trump’s rally on the White House Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021, before the riots on Capitol Hill.
According to lawmakers, Guilfoyle raised funds for the rally and was in direct contact with its main participants and organizers.
“Ms. Guilfoyle met with Donald Trump inside the White House, spoke at the rally that took place prior to the January 6 riots, and apparently played a key role in organizing and raising funds for that event,” he said. in a statement the Democratic representative for Mississippi, Bennie Thompson, chairman of the panel.
Guilfoyle, who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr., initially complied with the panel’s request to come voluntarily to speak with lawmakers, but in her virtual interview last Friday, she objected to the lawmakers’ presence and ended the questioning.
Joe Tacopina, Guilfoyle’s attorney, said the committee “sabotaged” the voluntary interview “by changing the terms she agreed to and leaking confidential information to the media,” but added that his client “will testify truthfully to any questions.” . She hasn’t done anything wrong.”
The commission is now using its subpoena powers to get Guilfoyle to cooperate, a move they have been careful not to resort to with many members of the Trump family as they hope to get them to come forward voluntarily.
The panel has received a number of documents it had requested from Guilfoyle, but is now seeking to learn more about his meetings with the former president and members of his family in the Oval Office on the morning of the assault.
It was precisely in that room where Trump spoke for the last time with then Vice President Mike Pence before the joint session of Congress to certify the results of the presidential elections. Congressional investigators have released testimony that Trump pressured Pence in that phone call to intervene, delay or even stop the Electoral College recount, power he did not have in his ceremonial role.
The nine-member commission also wants to speak with Guilfoyle because he was one of the few people from Trump’s inner circle to address the crowd at the White House Ellipse rally in support of the former president and his accusations of electoral fraud.
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