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
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
×