Liz Cheney asks if Trump organized attack on Capitol 1:13
(CNN) -
At least five former Trump administration aides have voluntarily spoken with the House committee investigating the Jan.6 bombing of the United States Capitol, CNN was told.
Those conversations come as attorneys working for the commission have also contacted a number of other Trump aides to ask if they would be interested in speaking with the commission voluntarily, without the threat of a subpoena.
Your participation could provide information for the commission seeking to learn more about the actions of former President Donald Trump and his supporters in the run-up to the unrest.
According to five former Trump employees, the commission's advisers emailed or text them directly to ask if they are interested in speaking with congressional investigators, often seeking context about what happened inside the West Wing of Trump. the White House before the insurrection of January 6.
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Although several people have voluntarily sat down with the commission, others have rejected the request or have not responded at all.
Contacts have ranged from lower-level staff to more experienced officials.
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The contact is not necessarily due to the commission's belief that officials were involved in what happened that day.
But investigators appear to be trying to get more context on what was happening inside the West Wing before, during and after the attack, according to sources.
A spokesman for the commission declined to comment.
CNN previously reported that Alyssa Farah, the former director of strategic communications in the Trump White House, had voluntarily met with Republicans on the House Select Committee and provided information at various meetings, sources familiar with the matter said.
Farah left the White House in December 2020.
OPINION |
Liz Cheney is asking just the right question about Bannon, Trump, and January 6
The news of the rapprochement between the commission and former officials comes at a time when Trump is embroiled in a legal battle over the commission's investigation.
Trump sued the commission and the National Archives in an attempt to shield documents.
And an attorney for the former president recently instructed four former Trump administration officials - Mark Meadows, Dan Scavino, Stephen Bannon and Kash Patel - not to provide any testimony or documents to the investigation panel, stating that they are protected "from disclosure by executive privilege and other privileges, including but not limited to presidential communications, deliberative process, and attorney-client privileges. "
First on CNN: Biden's White House rejects more Trump claims of executive privilege
On Monday, White House Counselor Dana Remus again reported to the National Archives that President Joe Biden refuses to assert executive privilege over other documents that, according to Trump, should remain secret.
- CNN's Ryan Nobles contributed to this report.
Attack on Capitol Donald Trump