In a recent development in the ongoing legal battle surrounding the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot, a federal judge has blocked former President Donald Trump's attempt to subpoena information related to the House investigation. The judge ruled that the request appeared to be more of a "fishing expedition" than a genuine effort to obtain identified evidence.

Trump and his legal team had sought to subpoena Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House Jan. 6 select committee, and other government officials over alleged "missing materials" from the committee's archives. However, Judge Tanya Chutkan denied the subpoena request, stating that the broad scope of the records sought and the vague description of their potential relevance suggested a general fishing expedition rather than a legitimate search for evidence.

In response to accusations from Rep. Barry Loudermilk, who is leading an investigation into the Jan. 6 committee's work, Thompson clarified that the committee did not archive temporary records that were not used in hearings or official publications. This clarification raised concerns from Trump's legal team about whether these records had been lost, destroyed, or altered.

Trump had also sought to subpoena Loudermilk, along with the archivist of the National Archives and Records Administration, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Special Counsel to the President Richard Sauber, and General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security Johnathan Meyer. However, their requests were also denied by Judge Chutkan.

The House Jan. 6 select committee's final report, released in December, accused Trump of engaging in a criminal "multi-part conspiracy" to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The report stated that "none of the events of January 6th would have happened without him." The committee also found that Trump and his allies had engaged in approximately 200 acts targeting state legislators or state and local election officials in an attempt to overturn the election results.

In a separate development, Trump is facing a four-count indictment in connection with his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The trial for this case is scheduled to begin on March 4, 2024, in Washington, DC. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Despite the denial of the subpoena request, Trump's legal team has not yet indicated whether they will appeal the decision. It remains to be seen how this recent development will impact the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the January 6 riot and Trump's alleged efforts to undermine the election results.