capitol riot aftermath
Appeals court rejects Trump's attempt to block records from Jan. 6 committee
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday denied former President Donald Trump's bid to keep documents from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
In a unanimous decision, the three-judge panel upheld a lower court's opinion, with Judge Patricia Millett writing that Trump's lawyers "provided no basis for this court to override President Biden's judgement" that the records in question not be protected by executive privilege.
Millett also wrote that on Jan. 6, "lives were lost; blood was shed: portions of the Capitol building were badly damaged; and the lives of members of the House and Senate, as well as aides, staffers, and others who were working in the building, were endangered. There is a direct linkage between the former president and the events of the day."
The documents Trump wants to block from the House committee are held by the National Archives and Records Administration, and include White House call logs and draft speeches. A spokeswoman for Trump said he intends to appeal the decision with the Supreme Court; he has 14 days to do so, before the records are turned over to Congress.