Kinzinger: Trump required by law to testify before Jan. 6 committee
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Former President Trump will be required by law to testify before the Jan. 6 committee when he is called to do so, committee member Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.
Driving the news: The Jan. 6 committee on Thursday unanimously voted to issue a subpoena to Trump during their last hearing before the midterms.
- Jan. 6 committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said Thursday the subpoena would be issued "as soon as we get the paperwork."
- Trump on Friday issued a 14-page letter addressed to Thompson in which he recapped critiques of the committee but didn't say whether he would testify before it.
What they're saying: "He's required by law to come in, and he can ramble and push back all he wants. That's the requirement for a congressional subpoena to come in," Kinzinger said on Sunday.
- Asked by host George Stephanopoulos if the Justice Department should hold Trump in criminal contempt if he refuses to come in to testify, Kinzinger replied, "That's a bridge we cross if we have to get there."
- "Look, he's made it clear he has nothing to hide — is what he says — so he should come in on the day we ask him to come in to. If he pushes off beyond that, we'll figure out what to do next."
The big picture: Former Trump adviser Steven Bannon was convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress this summer over his refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by the Jan. 6 select committee.
- Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro was indicted on two counts of contempt of Congress in June over his refusal to comply with subpoenas from the Jan. 6 committee. His trial is set to begin in November.
Go deeper: Jan. 6 committee unanimously votes to subpoena Trump
