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Trump files lawsuit against Jan 6 Committee and National Archives to block subpoenas for White House records

Oct 19, 2021, 07:02 IST
Business Insider
Former US President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower in Manhattan on July 19, 2021. James Devaney/GC Images
  • Lawyers for Donald Trump sued on Monday to block congressional subpoenas related to January 6.
  • Trump claimed that he intended to use 'executive privelege' to reject subpoenas.
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Attorneys for Donald Trump filed a lawsuit in a Washington, DC, federal court on Monday in an attempt to block the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol from obtaining White House records.

The lawsuit alleges the committee's subpoenas are "invalid and unenforceable through the Constitution and the laws of the United States."

In early October, Trump's legal team instructed former aides subpoenaed by the committee, including Steve Bannon, not to comply with congressional subpoenas issued in September.

On Monday, the Associated Press reported that the White House counsel sent a letter to Bannon's attorney saying that "at this point we are not aware of any basis for your client's refusal to appear for a deposition," and that Trump's claim of executive privilege did not shield the former adviser from his deposition.

"President Biden's determination that an assertion of privilege is not justified with respect to these subjects applies to your client's deposition testimony and to any documents your client may possess concerning either subject," White House Deputy Counsel Jonathan Su wrote to Bannon's lawyer, according to the AP.

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The report added that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former White House and national security aide Kashyap Patel are currently working with the committee, but Dan Scavino has not complied yet.

T​​rump's lawsuit again claimed that the former president intended to use executive privilege to reject the subpoenas.

The suit called the Biden administration's move to waive executive privilege for White House records, "a myopic, political maneuver designed to maintain the support of its political rivals," according to NBC News.

Trump's lawyer Jesse Binall argued that Congress can only seek records in order to legislate and not to investigate. Binnall has represented Trump in four lawsuits related to the January 6 insurrection, as well as in Trump's unsuccessful effort to overturn an election loss in Nevada.

Last week, the White House counsel asked the National Archives to quickly turn over Trump-related documents to the committee, NBC News' White House correspondent reported.

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