In an extraordinary move, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection has postponed its request for Trump White House records, even though the National Archives concluded the documents were relevant to the panel’s probe of the deadly attack on the US Capitol, Politico reports.
According to Politico, the Jan. 6 select committee is “temporarily backing off” a request for documents after talks with President Joe Biden’s White House, saying “they want to avoid a complicated and possibly protracted negotiation over documents related to the Capitol attack that might be legitimately shielded by executive privilege, attorney-client privilege or other reasons.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a member of the Jan. 6 panel, called the decision “a process of give and take” with the Biden administration, not an acknowledgment of “executive privilege.”
“We are not acknowledging privilege in any of these cases,” Raskin said before adding: “We don’t think that trying to overthrow the U.S. government is something that triggers executive privilege. “It’s hard to see that as part of the official duties of a president.”
However, House investigators intend to seek the documents later, Politico reported
“The Select Committee has not withdrawn its request for those records and will continue to engage with the executive branch to ensure we get access to all the information relevant to our probe,” Tim Mulvey, the committee’s spokesperson said.
As noted by Politico, “The decision marks the first acknowledgment that some of former President Donald Trump’s records may end up outside the select committee’s reach, even if they relate to its investigation of the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.”
Read the full report on Politico.
