Sorry Trump, but it looks like the Jan. 6 insurrection documents are headed to congress despite your efforts.
The US Supreme Court rejected requests by former President Donald Trump to block the release of White House records to the House select congressional committee that is investigating the violent Capitol insurrection.
The blow to Trump cast aside his consistent requests to stop the committee from obtaining the records.
More than 700 documents are now being transferred to Congress from the National Archives, and they may finally shed light on the riot. Some of the most sensitive records from the Trump administration, including his daily presidential diaries, call logs, handwritten notes, and memos from his closest confidants and aides are included.
The documents also include the files of his chief of staff Mark Meadows, adviser Stephen Miller and deputy counsel Pat Philbin.
The committee agreed to defer attempts to get certain documents after a request was made by the Biden White House, which is worried that releasing them all at once could end up compromising national security.
Trump had tried to claim he had the executive privilege and therefore the documents could be shielded from being transferred to the committee. It was rejected in two lower courts before finally landing at the Supreme Court. Trump’s law team insisted the top court rule in, likely much to his dismay now.
Experts say that the ruling will very likely have a cascading effect on other lawsuits that are filed against the committee.
The committee released a statement on its Twitter handle when the ruling came through, calling the Supreme Court’s decision a victory for American democracy and for the rule of law overall.
The ongoing House Select Committee investigation is working to shed light on the deadly riot. Committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson and vice chairwoman Rep. Liz Cheney said that the committee is pledging to uncover all of the facts about the Jan. 6 violence, and what, and whom, caused it.
Be the first to comment