Capitol assault commission calls for more Trump allies to testify

The commission of the Congress of USA that investigates the takeover of the Capitol on January 6 by supporters of Donald Trump summoned five more allies of the former president to appear on Monday.

Far-right radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and the self-described “dirty trickster” (dirty cheater), Roger Stone, were ordered to testify alongside two key figures in the movement “Stop the Steal” (Stop the robbery) of Trump, as well as the then spokesman for the former president.

“The committee is seeking information on the demonstrations and the subsequent march to the Capitol that turned into a violent mob that attacked the Capitol and threatened our democracy.”Explained its president, Bennie Thompson, in a statement.

“We need to know who organized, planned, paid for and received the funds related to those events, as well as what communications the organizers had with officials from the White House and Congress.”

Jones, 47, and Stone, a 69-year-old Republican, gave speeches the night before the attack, urging Trump supporters to reject the election results, the panel recalls.

Thompson says Jones repeatedly promoted Trump’s false claims about voter fraud and urged his listeners to come to Washington for the rally.

For his part, Stone, whose 40-month prison sentence for lying to Congress was commuted by Trump last July, used members of the far-right group Oath Keepers as personal security guards while in Washington.

The panel has already convened numerous former Trump campaign officials and administrative staff, from his personal assistant Nick Luna to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and strategist Steve Bannon, now on trial for not attending.

Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol 10 months ago in an effort to overturn President Joe Biden’s election victory, in a riot that is credited, in part, with the deaths of five people and the injuries of dozens of police officers.

Trump had urged them to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell” in a fiery speech.

Some 57 members of the 100-seat Senate, including seven from his own party, voted against Trump in an impeachment trial in which he was accused of inciting the January 6 riots, though he fell short of the two-thirds majority required for.