Trump Will Sue to Block Release of White House Records Related to 1/6

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:40 pm

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Former President Donald Trump plans to sue to block the release of White House records related to the January 6 Capitol riot, the day a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol in a failed bid to overturn the 2020 general election result.

Trump wants to sue the House select committee tasked with investigating the attack and plans to cite executive privilege, which The Guardian notes could spark “an extended legal battle over disclosure.” He also expects his top aides to resist subpoenas for records and testimony.

“The plan to prevent House select committee investigators from receiving Trump White House records revolves around exploiting the procedure by which the National Archives allows both the Biden administration and Trump to review materials for executive privilege claims,” The Guardian reported, adding that “After the National Archives identifies and transmits to Biden and Trump the records requested by the select committee, Trump has 30 days to review the materials and ask the administration to assert executive privilege over any to stop their release.”

Trump has in the past claimed he is protected under executive privilege, which gives presidents the ability to assert confidentiality and withhold information in the public interest.

However, legal analysts have noted executive privilege does not extend to efforts to stop the certification of an election President Joe Biden won.

Moreover, executive privilege belongs to the current office-holder: Biden himself.

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.