House panel tees up Trump executive privilege fight in Jan. 6 probe

The House committee seeking executive branch documents in its investigation of the Jan. 6 attack is likely to force a standoff between Congress and former President TrumpDonald TrumpPollsters confront tough survey landscape after 2020 flubs The Memo: Will DeSantis’s star fall as Florida COVID numbers rise? Legal experts welcome sanctions of pro-Trump lawyers, say more needed MORE over the issue of executive privilege.

The panel on Wednesday sent demands to eight government agencies seeking exhaustive records and communications to determine, among other things, “how the January 6th events fit in the continuum of efforts to subvert the rule of law, overturn the results of the November 3, 2020 election, or otherwise impede the peaceful transfer of power.”

The request from the committee includes an exhaustive list of Trump associates, including family members and close aides.

The letter asks for documents and communications from within the White House “relating in any way” to former first lady Melania TrumpMelania TrumpThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – US prepares vaccine booster plan House panel probing Jan. 6 attack seeks Trump records Melania Trump fires back at historian over Rose Garden criticism MORE; three of the former president’s children, Ivanka, Eric and Donald Trump Jr.; son-in-law Jared KushnerJared Corey KushnerThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – US prepares vaccine booster plan House panel probing Jan. 6 attack seeks Trump records Director of Fox News decision desk, who called Arizona for Biden, gets Harvard Fellowship MORE; as well as any member of Congress or Hill staffers. It also asks for the National Archives to turn over communications with all of Trump’s top aides.

The committee and watchdog groups say the records are essential to accountability efforts.

“The committee has a right to these documents,” said Tim Stretton, the director of the Congressional Oversight Initiative at the nonpartisan Project on Government Oversight. “This was an attack on Congress and the legislative branch of government. And the committee has a responsibility to find out what exactly happened on that day and what led up to that horrendous attack, and they should have access to all records that help answer those questions.”

Trump quickly attacked the committee’s requests as a “partisan sham” and vowed to fight them with claims of executive privilege.

“Unfortunately, this partisan exercise is being performed at the expense of long-standing legal principles of privilege,” the former president said in a statement.

“Executive privilege will be defended, not just on behalf of my Administration and the Patriots who worked beside me, but on behalf of the Office of the President of the United States and the future of our Nation. These Democrats only have one tired trick—political theater—and their latest request only reinforces that pathetic reality.”

The threat heightens the possibility for…