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The U.S. House Select Committee has issued its first subpoenas to members of former president Trump’s close advisers and associates. Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss, wrote to four of Trump’s closest advisers and associates to produce documents and appear at depositions in mid-October.

The subpoenas were for former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Dan Scavino, former Defense Department official Kashyap Patel and former Trump advisor Steve Bannon.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the formation of the committee back in July. “January 6th was one of the darkest days in our nation’s history, with five people killed, 140 members of law enforcement physically harmed and countless more seriously traumatized,” Pelosi said in a statement. “It is clear that January 6th was not simply an attack on a building, but an attack on our very democracy, an attack on the peaceful transfer of power.”

Select Committee continues investigation into former Pres. Trump’s insurrection attempt

Pelosi tapped Thompson, who also chairs the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, to lead the Jan. 6 Select Committee. In a statement to CNN after his appointment, Thompson said he would not be reluctant to call former President Trump or members of his White House to testify.

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“I think we need to have access to all the available information. And part of what we plan to do is hire some of the best people, who can help us get access to that kind of information. So, if we need to get it by request or by subpoena I’m not reluctant to do that either,” Thompson said.

Thompson says in letters to each of the witnesses that investigators believe they have relevant information about the lead-up to the insurrection. In the case of Bannon, for instance, Democrats cite his Jan. 5 prediction that ”(a)ll hell is going to break loose tomorrow” and his communications with Trump one week before the riot in which he urged the president to focus his attention on Jan. 6.

Letter cites “credible evidence” that advisors aided Trump’s insurrection

In the letter to Meadows, Thompson cites his efforts to overturn Trump’s defeat in the weeks prior to the insurrection and his pressure on state officials to push the former president’s false claims of widespread voter fraud. 

“You were the president’s chief of staff and have critical information regarding many elements of our inquiry,” Thompson wrote. “It appears you were with or in the vicinity of President Trump on January 6, had communication with the president and others on January 6 regarding events at the Capitol and are a witness regarding the activities of the day.” 

Thompson wrote that the panel has “credible evidence” of Meadows’ involvement in events within the scope of the committee’s investigation. That also includes involvement in the “planning and preparation of efforts to contest the presidential election and delay the counting of electoral votes.”

In July, the committee held an emotional first hearing with four police officers who battled the insurrectionists and were injured and verbally abused as the rioters broke into the building after Trump’s repeated lies about widespread election fraud.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.