Donald Trump has gone to court over a parliamentary inquiry into the January 6 storming of the Capitol. The then president wants to prevent the release of White House documents about that storm, such as confidential conversations with employees.
According to Trump, such conversations fall under the executive privilege, the right that every president has to freely consult with advisers, without fear that those confidential conversations will eventually get out in Congress or the courts.
‘Fishing expedition’
President Biden previously said he does not want to respect that right in this case, because he says the storming of the Capitol is an exceptional event. Biden has therefore already authorized the National Archives, where government documents are stored, to release the documents requested by the Commission of Inquiry. That would happen next month.
But Trump believes the Congressional Commission of Inquiry is requesting far too many documents, not all of which are related to the Capitol storm. He says in his indictment that the investigation is illegal and too comprehensive and speaks of a “fishing expedition“, a term used when as many pieces as possible are requested without it being clear exactly what is being searched for.
For example, the commission has requested all documents dated January 6 that relate to statements by Trump or others. The former president hopes to be able to stop the release of the documents via a court order.
Blockade
This is not the first time Trump has attempted to block the Congressional investigation. Earlier, he called former employees who had been subpoenaed ready to shut up, again because of the executive privilege.
One of those employees, Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon, came on Thursday not showing up at all at the inquiry committee. He also believes that the conversations between him and Trump were confidential and that the Congressional Committee cannot force him to disclose the contents.
The committee says today that it rejects that line of thought, but it is unclear what will happen next. Bannon has said through his attorney that he will not cooperate with the commission until a judge rules on Trump’s appeal to the commission. executive privilege.
Responsible?
The purpose of the Congressional Commission of Inquiry is to determine the extent to which then-President Trump was responsible for the storming of the Capitol.
A look back at that storming, on January 6 of this year:
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