Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Judge Questions Donald Trump Suit To Keep Capitol Riot Documents Secret

Judge Questions Donald Trump Suit To Keep Capitol Riot Documents Secret

Four weeks after President Joe Biden approved the release of the records, Judge Tanya Chutkan expressed doubts over Donald Trump's claim of presidential executive privilege to keep the communications and visitor logs related to that day under seal.
A Washington judge questioned Thursday former president Donald Trump's suit to block the release of White House records that could implicate him or his aides in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Four weeks after President Joe Biden approved the release of the records, Judge Tanya Chutkan expressed doubts over Trump's claim of presidential executive privilege to keep the communications and visitor logs related to that day under seal.

The documents have been sought by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 violence, in which hundreds of Trump supporters forced the shutdown of Congress and delayed a joint session to confirm that Biden had won the November election and would become president.

Trump's suit sought a stay to halt the release of the documents, arguing that as former president he retained privileges to protect his work and communications.

"The former president has rights with respect to asserting privilege," said Trump attorney Justin Clark.

But Chutkan challenged him to cite any precedent for that, given Biden's ruling.

"How should I weigh a previous president's assertion of privilege when the current president says there is none?" she asked.

"The former president's rights are less significant because he is a former president," she said.

"The person best able to determine whether there is an executive privilege would be the executive."

She also challenged Clark's claim that the Select Committee, which has also subpoenaed Trump aides to testify, has no legitimate reason to seek the documents.

"There needs to be at least a legislative purpose behind the request," Clark said.

But Chutkan asked: "Are you really saying that the President's notes, talking points, telephone conversations, on January 6, have no relation to the matter on which Congress is considering legislation?"

"The January 6 riot happened in the Capitol. That is literally Congress' house," she said.

Chutkan agreed with Clark that the committees document request, which includes documents dating back to April 2020, could be too broad.

An attorney representing the committee, Douglas Letter, said they wanted to show that Trump encouraged the attack by stoking anger among supporters.

"This attack didn't just come out of nowhere," Letter told the court.

"Many attempts have been made before the election to try to build major mistrust... so that if president Trump did lose, he would be able to say that it was unfair and generate a lot of anger in ways that led to January 6," he said.

Letter said that even if the court viewed that some documents should be excluded, it should not prevent the bulk of them from being released to the committee.

Chutkan, noting the urgency of Trump's request for a stay to block the release, said she would rule "expeditiously."
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×