Trump supporters have called out a federal judge in light of the ongoing investigation into the 2021 US Capitol riot. According to reports, Judge Tanya Chutkan thwarted former President Donald Trump’s attempt to subpoena information linked to the investigation.
According to reports, Trump and his legal team aimed to subpoena Representative Bennie Thompson, the House January 6 select committee chairman. They also planned to subpoena other government officials regarding allegedly “missing materials” from the Committee’s archives.
However, Judge Chutkan deemed the request a “fishing expedition,” asserting that it lacked a genuine effort to obtain identified evidence. Judge Chutkan, in her order denying the subpoena request, expressed concern over the broad scope of the records sought. In addition, she wanted to have a more specific description of their potential relevance.
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“The broad scope of the records that Defendant seeks, and his vague description of their potential relevance, resemble less a good faith effort to obtain identified evidence than they do a general ‘fishing expedition’ that attempts to use the [Rule 17(c) subpoena] as a discovery device,” she wrote.
In August 2023, Rep Thompson clarified that the Committee did not retain records of materials unused in hearings or publications. This statement prompted Trump’s lawyers to question whether such materials had been “lost, destroyed, or altered.”
“The Select Committee did not archive temporary committee records that were not elevated by the Committee’s actions, such as use in hearings or official publications, or those that did not further its investigative activities,” Thompson wrote. In his response to allegations of “missing” records, Thompson noted that the Select Committee was not obliged to archive records.
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Like Rep Thompson, Rep Barry Loudermilk also faced a subpoena from Trump. However, Judge Chutkan denied the subpoena along with others.
Trump’s attempt to subpoena critical figures in the trial was part of the rejected request. Some of the people Trump tried to subpoena include Special Counsel to President Richard Sauber.
While the January 6 committee applauded the judge’s decision, social media users did not. Judge Chutkan’s decision sparked a backlash on social media, especially from Trump supporters on X (formerly Twitter). Many expressed concerns about denying potential exculpatory evidence and questioning the fairness of the trial.
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“So denying the use of potential exculpatory evidence is ok now? Yeap, our justice system is dead,” one posted on X.
While some say the Justice system is dead, others say the judge tried to protect the J6 committee. “Of course, they have to protect the j6 committee,” another X user wrote. On the other hand, some think the former President might not get a fair trial. “No way this guy is getting a fair trial,” a comment read.
Another X user suggested that the judge is complicit in an alleged cover-up. “There’s no reason to deny it unless the judge is complicit in a cover-up,” the user wrote.
The Committee’s final report accused Trump of participating in a criminal “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn the 2020 election results. The report pointed to Trump as the central figure behind the events of January 6. It also stated that none would have occurred without the former President’s involvement.
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