President Trump SUES Pelosi’s Jan. 6 Committee

On Monday, President Donald J. Trump sued Nancy Pelosi’s January 6th Committee in a bid to block federal officials from releasing presidentially privileged records related to the Capitol incursion.

The Washington Times reports:

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and claims Mr. Trump is acting in his capacity as the 45th president, claiming executive privilege over the documents sought by the Democratic-dominated panel.

Though the administration of … Biden has said it will not assert executive privilege against his own party’s investigators, the law does grants some power to former presidents over documents from their time in office.

“Today, President Donald J. Trump filed a lawsuit in defense of the Constitution, the Office of the President, and the future of our nation, all of which the sham Unselect Committee is trying to destroy,” said Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich in a statement provided to POLITICO. “The fact is America is under assault by Pelosi’s Communist-style attempt to silence and destroy America First patriots through this hyper-partisan and illegitimate investigation.”

Politico further reports:

The lawsuit will likely rally several other witnesses facing subpoenas from the Jan. 6 committee, which includes two anti-Trump Republicans. Steve Bannon, a former Trump aide and longtime political ally, has cited Trump’s claim of executive privilege to refuse to share documents and testimony with the panel. The committee is slated to hold Bannon in criminal contempt of Congress on Tuesday.

The legal fight brings a risk for Biden, since a court ruling that narrows the scope of executive privilege could help congressional Republicans target his administration’s records after he leaves office. But when asked recently about that prospect, White House press secretary Jen Psaki pointed to the unprecedented nature of the attack on the Capitol.