US Marshals could go after Trump aides as Liz Cheney vows charges for those who dodge subpoenas

Lawmakers have ‘engaged with a wide variety of law enforcement offices’ after resistance from Steve Bannon

A member of the House select committee investigating January’s Capitol riot has warned former aides of Donald Trump that US Marshals could be called upon if subpoenas are ignored.

Appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday, committee member Stephanie Murphy said US Marshals were being considered if the former US president’s aides fail to comply with subpoenas to appear before the investigatory committee.

"I want to know how much planning was involved, who was involved in the planning, who funded it, [and] what their intent was,” said Ms Murphy of her hopes, as well as “what they knew as that day unfolded and the safety and security of people like the vice president and members of Congress [who] were at risk”.

Asked about Trump aides refusing to testify, the Representative told MSNBC that “we have engaged with a wide variety of law enforcement offices, including the US Marshals, in order to issue the subpoenas”.

"We will use everything, as you said, with all due respect, we will use all of the agencies and all of the tools at our disposal to issue the subpoenas and enforce them,” Ms Murphy said.

Her remarks come a day after Representative Liz Cheney, the vice chair of the committee into the Capitol riot, warned that she will seek criminal contempt changes against anybody who fails to comply with the subpoenas issued last month.

That includes Steven Bannon, a former White House adviser who told the committee last week that he would not cooperate and that it was up to US courts to decide if he must do so.

Mr Trump, a day earlier, had warned his former aides who were issued with subpoenas to refuse to comply, citing executive privilege usually reserved for sitting US presidents.

Mark Meadows, his former chief of staff, Dan Scavino, a deputy chief of staff, and Kash Patel, a former official in the department of defence, are the other former aides with subpoenas.

Ms Cheney said: “In general, people are going to have to appear, or, you know, we will move contempt charges against them”. She added that she was expecting depositions from Mr Meadows and Ms Patel later this week.

“We’ll see if they show up. If they show up, we’ll be prepared”.

Additional reporting by Reuters.