Trump Unanimously Loses Appeal To Hide Docs From The 1/6 Committee

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:43 pm

The DC Appeals Court has unanimously ruled against Donald Trump in his bid to hide documents from the 1/6 Committee.

Video:

To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

NBC’s Pete Williams summarized the ruling:

This is a unanimous opinion just out from the D.C. Court of Appeals, the three-judge panel that recently heard oral arguments in this case. This is the fight between the president and the archives over the documents requested by the 1/6 Committee, which the president says should be shielded by executive privilege. 

What this unanimous opinion says is that the court cannot override President Biden’s decision not to invoke executive privilege. It says that President Trump has provided no basis for overriding that judgment, and the agreement and accommodations worked out between the archives and the Congress to get them. And more specifically, it says, the president — former President Trump, has failed to show that President Biden did not carefully and give a reasoned explanation for why he waved executive privilege and decided it was not in the interest of the United States.

 The court says Congress has a uniquely vital interest in studying the attack, to formulate remedial legislation, and to safeguard its own operations. It says there is a demonstrated relevance of the documents at issue to the congressional inquiry. It says there is no other place to get this information. And it says Mr. Trump has failed to allege, let alone demonstrate any harm to him that would arise from the disclosure. 

Trump’s Last Option Is The Supreme Court

The appeals court put a hold on its ruling for two weeks so that Trump could appeal to the Supreme Court, but since there is no issue of unsettled law in this case, legal experts doubt that the Court will hear Trump’s appeal.

Donald Trump lost on every single point. He was unable to make a relevant argument for why the documents should be withheld from the 1/6 Committee.

The ruling is a victory for the 1/6 Committee and also for the Legislative Branch, as the Trump concept of unlimited executive power and privilege has been soundly defeated.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association