Ex-Trump lawyer John Eastman reportedly withholding about 3,200 documents from Jan. 6 committee
John Eastman, a far-right lawyer who worked with former President Donald Trump to contest the outcome of the 2020 election, still has yet to turn over approximately 3,200 Trump-related documents to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, CNN reports, per a new court filing.
Previously, Eastman was ordered to turn over 101 documents following an unsuccessful bid to safeguard some of his emails between Jan. 4 and Jan. 7, 2021, as confidential legal communications pertaining to Trump. Since then, the lawyer has "continued to work through nearly 100,000 pages of emails from his Chapman University account that the House Committee seeks from other dates around the election," CNN writes.
Eastman is claiming the thousands of documents should stay private and confidential — an argument a federal judge in California may continue to weigh.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The judge's previous ruling that forced Eastman to fork over the 101 documents was a "pivotal moment in the investigation," and a setback for Eastman, CNN writes.
The ongoing lawsuit also serves as a reminder that the select committee is "tied up in court on multiple fronts," trying to enforce their subpoenas.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Pakistan: Trump’s ‘favourite field marshal’ takes chargeIn the Spotlight Asim Munir’s control over all three branches of Pakistan’s military gives him ‘sweeping powers’ – and almost unlimited freedom to use them
-
Codeword: December 6, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
Crossword: December 6, 2025The daily crossword from The Week
-
‘These accounts clearly are designed as a capitalist alternative’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump tightens restrictions for work visasSpeed Read The length of work permits for asylum seekers and refugees has been shortened from five years to 18 months
-
Supreme Court revives Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read Texas Republicans can use the congressional map they approved in August at President Donald Trump’s behest
-
Boat strike footage rattles some lawmakersSpeed Read ‘Disturbing’ footage of the Sept. 2 attack on an alleged drug-trafficking boat also shows the second strike that killed two survivors who were clinging to the wreckage
-
Is a Putin-Modi love-in a worry for the West?Today’s Big Question The Indian leader is walking a ‘tightrope’ between Russia and the United States
-
Trump boosts gas cars in fuel economy rollbackspeed read Watering down fuel efficiency standards is another blow to former President Biden’s effort to boost electric vehicles
-
Hegseth’s Signal chat put troops in peril, probe findsSpeed Read The defense secretary risked the lives of military personnel and violated Pentagon rules, says new report
-
Trump pardons Texas Democratic congressmanspeed read Rep. Henry Cuellar was charged with accepting foreign bribes tied to Azerbaijan and Mexico
