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 Trump
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 Trump
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…
Read More: House panel tees up Trump executive privilege fight in Jan. 6 probe