The congressional committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, issued subpoenas yesterday to three lawyers who assisted former President Donald Trump in his unsuccessful attempt to overturn his election defeat: Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis.

On February 8, the House of Representatives committee asked that pro-Trump attorneys turn over papers and appear for depositions.

Representative Bennie Thompson, the committee's chairman, stated in a statement that the panel anticipates the lawyers would join the almost 400 witnesses who have testified before the Select Committee as part of its inquiry into the causes of the deadly Trump supporter attack.

The committee also subpoenaed Boris Epshteyn, a Trump political adviser.

Mr. Giuliani, Ms. Powell, Mr. Epshteyn, and Ms. Ellis declined to speak immediately.

"The four persons we subpoenaed today advocated baseless hypotheses about election fraud, campaigned for overturning the election results, or were in direct touch with the previous president over efforts to halt the counting of electoral votes," Mr. Thompson said.

Ms. Powell, Mr. Giuliani, and Mr. Ellis all spoke at a Trump campaign news conference on November 19, 2020, pledging to reverse President Joe Biden's election triumph.

Ms. Powell promised to "liberate the Kraken," alluding to a mythical sea monster.

The Trump team distanced itself from Ms. Powell when she claimed at a news conference that computerized voting systems. Had shifted millions of ballots from Mr. Trump to Mr. Biden without providing evidence.

In June, Mr. Giuliani's law license in New York was suspended after a state appeals court concluded he made "demonstrably false and deceptive" remarks about rampant voter fraud undermining Democrat Joe Biden's election victory.

According to a person familiar with the probe, the committee intends to deliver an interim report in the summer and a full report in the autumn. Members of the Select Committee have indicated that they will consider forwarding proof of Mr. Trump's criminal behavior to the US Justice Department. As such a move is known, a criminal referral would be primarily symbolic but would raise the pressure on Attorney General Merrick Garland to charge Mr. Trump.