Report: House Jan. 6 select committee can't track down former Trump aide to serve subpoena

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has been unable to deliver in person a subpoena to Dan Scavino, the deputy chief of staff for communications and director of social media in the Trump White House, several people familiar with the matter told CNN on Tuesday.

Last month, subpoenas were issued for Scavino and three other close allies of former President Donald Trump, with the panel requesting they turn over documents by Oct. 7 and sit for a deposition by Oct. 15. While he might be hard to pin down in person, over the last several days, Scavino has been active on social media trolling the committee, CNN reports.

The committee said in its letter to Scavino that because he has been close to Trump for several years, he could offer information on discussions Trump had with members of Congress on Jan. 5 about not certifying the election, as well as the Trump White House's communication strategy leading up to the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" really that took place right before a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol building.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The possibility remains that some people who receive subpoenas won't comply, and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), one of the two Republicans on the select committee, told CNN the panel will "do everything in our power to get them to testify. I mean, there is civil, there is criminal referrals that can happen if they refuse, refusing a subpoena from Congress is a crime." He added, "The problem is when you start seeing people resist, and people obfuscate, you have to look at that and go, why are they doing that if they have nothing to hide?"