Donald Trump.Photo: James Devaney/GC Images
As the congressional committee investigating thedeadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitolissues more than a dozen fresh subpoenas to former White House officials and others inDonald Trump’s inner circle, a judge in Washington, D.C., has denied the former president’s request to withhold relevant documents from investigators.
In a 39-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkanpoked holes in Trump’s casefor blocking aHouse of Representatives select committeefrom seeing records related to the planning, execution and response to events on Jan. 6.
The former president “does not acknowledge the deference owed to the incumbent President’s judgement. His position that he may override the express will of the executive branch appears to be premised on the notion that his executive power ‘exists in perpetuity,'” Judge Chutkan said in the ruling. “But Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President. He retains the right to assert that his records are privileged, but the incumbent President ‘is not constitutionally obliged to honor’ that assertion.”
Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6, 2021.Spencer Platt/Getty
According to the judge’s decision, the committee is seeking written communications, calendar entries, videos, photographs or other media related to Trump’s Jan. 6 speech and rally, the march that followed, the violence at the Capitol and the White House’s response.
Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson praised judge Chutkan’s ruling.
“This decision affirms the importance of the Select Committee’s work to get answers for the American people, recommend changes to the law to strengthen our democracy, and help ensure nothing like the attack of January 6th ever happens again,” he said in a statement.
Alex Wong/Getty; Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg via Getty; CHRIS KLEPONIS/AFP via Getty
Former senior advisers to the presidentStephen MillerandJason Miller, former White House Press SecretaryKayleigh McEnany, manager of the Trump 2020 reelection campaign Bill Stepien and former National Security AdvisorMichael Flynnare among those who’ve been issued subpoenas this week.
McEnany is of interest because as press secretary, the committeewrites in a separate letterthat she “made multiple public statements from the White House and elsewhere about purported fraud in the November 2020 election” and “was reportedly present at times with the former President as he watched the January 6th attack.”
Recipients of earlier subpoenashave been uncooperative, citing Trump’s claims of executive privilege.
In a letter previously sent to the select committee, Bannon’s attorney wrote: “We are unable to respond to your request for documents and testimony” until the issue resolved over whether Trump, who is no longer president, can assert executive privilege.
source: people.com
