Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post via AP, Pool
- Members of the Jan. 6 Committee insisted they have the authority to seek White House records.
- Former President Donald Trump said he intends to use executive privilege to reject the subpoenas.
- The committee is seeking Trump-related records, including his internal communications.
Jan. 6 Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss) and Vice-Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) reiterated that they have the authority to seek White House records in light of a lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of former President Donald Trump in an attempt to block subpoenas related to the investigation into the insurrection.
“The former president’s clear objective is to stop the Select Committee from getting to the facts about Jan. 6, and his lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to delay and obstruct our probe. Precedent and law are on our side,” the statement from Thompson and Cheney said.
Thompson and Cheney added in their statement that President Biden has so far declined to invoke executive privilege and that it is not absolute.
“Additionally, there’s a long history of the White House accommodating congressional investigative requests when the public interest outweighs other concerns,” the statement from Thompson and Cheney said. “It’s hard to imagine a more compelling public interest than trying to get answers about an attack on our democracy and an attempt to overturn the results of an election.”
Trump’s lawyers alleged in the lawsuit that the subpoenas are “invalid and unenforceable through the Constitution and the laws of the United States,” and said Trump intends to use executive privilege to reject them.
The Jan. 6 Committee has asked for a trove of Trump’s records, including his internal communications with lawyers, campaign operatives, and senior officials, Politico reported.
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