capitol riot aftermath
Trump sues to block House committee from receiving Jan. 6 documents
Former President Donald Trump filed a federal lawsuit on Monday in an attempt to block the release of documents connected to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that have been requested by the House select committee investigating the attack.
The committee has asked for papers and intelligence related to "Stop the Steal" rallies held immediately before the riot, security preparations around the Capitol, and Trump's false claims that the election was stolen from him. Trump is suing the committee and National Archives, seeking an injunction to prohibit the release of the documents; President Biden has already said he will not use executive privilege to block the records from being turned over.
The lawsuit claims that the panel's request is "almost limitless in scope" and part of a "vexatious, illegal fishing expedition." The committee has made "over 50 individual requests for documents and information, and mentioned more than 30 individuals, including those working inside and outside government," the suit says, and that could encompass "the most sensitive of national security threats." Trump is being represented by Virginia-based attorney Jesse Binnall, who led an earlier unsuccessful lawsuit attempting to overturn Biden's victory in Nevada.