A federal judge allowed the White House on Tuesday to deliver documents to a congressional committee investigating the circumstances surrounding the January 6 Capitol riot, despite former President Donald Trump's attempts to keep them confidential. Judge Tanya Chutkan stated in her ruling, published by U.S. media, that "the court believes that the public interest requires supporting – not hindering – the joint will of the legislative and executive branches to investigate the events that led to January 6."
Trump was particularly eager to prevent the White House from submitting hundreds of documents to the Democrat-controlled investigative committee, including lists of individuals who visited or contacted him on January 6. The documents, exceeding 770 pages, include files from his former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former Senior Advisor Stephen Miller, and former Assistant Advisor Patrick Philbin.
Trump also hoped to block the release of the White House daily diary that contains details of his activities, trips, press conferences, and phone calls. Other documents he does not want Congress to see include memos to his former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, a handwritten note regarding the January 6 incidents, and a draft of his speech during the "Save America" rally preceding the riot.
Trump's lawyers justified their request to the court to prevent the congressional committee from obtaining these documents by invoking executive privilege. However, Judge Chutkan rejected these arguments, asserting that "presidents are not kings and the plaintiff is not president." The Washington Post reported that Trump's attorneys plan to appeal this ruling.
The decision follows the issuance of new subpoenas by the congressional committee investigating the attack on the Capitol for several close associates of the former president, including former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany. The committee noted in the subpoena that "as the White House Press Secretary, you issued numerous public statements at the White House and elsewhere regarding alleged fraud in the November 2020 elections," specifying that these allegations "were relied on by the individuals who attacked the Capitol."
The committee has also subpoenaed Stephen Miller for preparing the speech Trump delivered at the January 6 rally before the Capitol attack. Other Trump associates subpoenaed include Nicholas Luna, former President Trump's assistant, Christopher Liddell, former Deputy Chief of Staff, and Keith Kellogg, National Security Advisor to former Vice President Mike Pence.
Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson stated, "We believe the witnesses who have been called to testify today have relevant information, and we expect their cooperation in the investigation." The committee announced on Monday that it had subpoenaed additional figures, including members of Trump's campaign team such as Michael Flynn, former National Security Advisor to the former Republican president, and his campaign manager Bill Stepien. According to Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, the committee has interviewed over 150 people as part of the investigation.
