Judge Denies Trump's Request To Keep Jan 6 Documents Private
A federal judge has denied former President Donald Trump’s request to block documents concerning his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election from being released to the Jan. 6 Committee.
Judge Tanya Chutkan of the D.C. District Court said his efforts were “premature” and that she plans to rule “expeditiously” in the case. Chutkan is expected to rule whether or not the documents can be turned over to the House committee by Friday.
The judge remains skeptical that Trump can win his case, in which he claims control over his records. Trump said he will appeal his case if he lost.
The archivists intend to release the documents to the House Committee on Friday unless a higher court intervenes. The Jan. 6 Committee is investigating, among other matters, Trump's role in the riot by his supporters on Capitol Hill in an effort to stop certification of the results.
Chakan seems inclined to reject the request as she questions the legal basis of a former president claiming executive privilege over his records knowing that the sitting president and Congress disagree with Trump. The National Archives said Trump is seeking to block 750 pages out of 1,500 concerning his efforts to overturn the election.
Trump’s attorney, Jesse Binall, wrote the case should be decided after “thorough but expeditious consideration” rather than “a race against the clock.”
“President Trump requests a ruling from this Court on his Motion for a Preliminary Injunction and, if applicable, this motion no later than Wednesday, November 10, 2021. Should no order be issued by that time, the Plaintiff will interpret the Court’s silence as a refusal and take his appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit," Trump’s lawyers said in a filing.
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