‘Not chatty, but helpful’: Ivanka Trump gives evidence on US Capitol riot

Ivanka Trump has given evidence before the US House of Representatives panel investigating the US Capitol riot.

The daughter of former US President Donald Trump was one of those closest to him when his supporters stormed the building in Washington on 6 January last year as a joint session of Congress was sitting to ratify Joe Biden’s election as president.

Her co-operation in the investigation comes after several of her father’s top advisers have refused to assist.

Mississippi representative Bennie Thompson, the committee’s chairman, said that Ms Trump, a former senior advisor to the Trump administration, had been answering questions on a video teleconference.

He said she was not “chatty” but had been helpful to the probe, adding that she “came in on her own” and did not have to be subpoenaed.

Ivanka Trump, who was with her father in the White House that day, is one of more than 800 witnesses the committee has interviewed as it compiles a record of the attack – the worst on the Capitol in more than two centuries.

She is also the first of Mr Trump’s children known to speak to the panel, as well as one of the closest people to her father.

Her decision to co-operate is significant to the panel – which has been trying to secure an interview with her since late January – whether she gives the committee new information or not.

The panel wants to know exactly what Mr Trump was doing as his supporters broke into the Capitol – interrupting the certification of Mr Biden’s victory.

His daughter’s appearance comes less than a week after her husband, Jared Kushner, gave evidence to the committee in a separate virtual meeting that lasted more than six hours.

Members of the nine-member panel said his evidence was helpful, adding they were hopeful of further filling in the gaps with his wife’s help.

The interviews will be used to compile a comprehensive record, with the information set to be released in the coming months on the insurrection.

Members of the panel have said the objective is to create the most comprehensive record possible so nothing like it ever happens again – even though Congress does not have the power to charge anyone with a crime.

Legislators have said they want to discuss what Ms Trump knew about her father’s efforts before the incident – including a telephone call they believe she witnessed.

The former president was said to have phoned then-vice president Mike Pence, pressuring him to reject Mr Biden’s 2020 election win as part of his ceremonial role overseeing the electoral count. Mr Pence rejected those efforts.

The committee is also expected to ask Ms Trump if she may have heard any concerns from Mr Pence’s staff, members of Congress and the White House counsel’s office.

Mr Trump has attempted to exert executive privilege over documents and interviews – but has often been overruled by courts or Mr Biden himself, who has that authority as the sitting president.

The committee previously voted to recommend contempt charges against Steve Bannon, a long-time Trump ally who defied a congressional subpoena, and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who stopped co-operating with the panel.

Other witnesses who are still said to be close to the former president – and several who were in the White House on the day of the riot – have declined to answer the committee’s questions.