Supreme Court Rejects Donald Trump's Bid to Shield Release of Documents to January 6 Select Committee
The Supreme Court has blocked former U.S. President Donald Trump's attempt to stop the National Archives from giving the January 6 House select committee hundreds of pages of documents during his time in the White House.
The National Archives can hand the documents over now with the Supreme Court's decision, according to an NBC News report.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will decide whether to hear Trump's appeal of a lower court ruling that said he could not stop the material from being produced through claiming executive privilege.
Only Justice Clarence Thomas said that the court should have granted the motion from the former president to block National Archives from handing the documents over while the case is pending.
The House select committee asked for a trove of documents connected to the events surrounding the Capitol riot, which included records of communication between the White House and the Justice Department.
Trump objected and asserted executive privilege, which U.S. President Joe Biden declined to back up that claim.
Biden then directed the National Archives to submit the material to the select committee leading the probe on the January 6 insurrection.
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Trump Blocking Release of Documents
Trump failed late last year in his legal efforts in Washington, D.C.'s federal district and appeals court to block the panel from getting the trove of documents.
Since then, he asked the Supreme Court to take the case, according to a CNBC report.
The lower courts ruled that the former president did not have the power to override Biden's decision to waive executive privilege.
The Supreme Court said in its decisions that the question of whether and when a former president can obtain a court order blocking the release of records despite an incumbent president saying they can be released is "unprecedented."
The Supreme Court noted that the case also raises serious and substantial concerns.
The decision noted that the appeals court concluded that Trump's claims would have failed even if he were the current president.
Meanwhile, Trump appointee Justice Brett Kavanaugh said that he respectfully disagreed with the appeals court's opinion on whether a former president can invoke executive privilege.
Kavanaugh said in a statement that a former president must be able to successfully invoke that privilege that occurred during his presidency, despite the current president's decision not to support the claim.
National Archives on Trump Documents
The National Archives said it intends to release a group of disputed White House documents to the select committee.
However, the documents stated were not specifically identified in the ongoing lawsuit, according to a CBS News report.
The National Archivist wrote to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals that the Archivist intends to release records from the fourth tranche to the committee.
The handout covers just four pages of documents from the Office of Records management, which are records the former president has tried to protect from reaching the hands of the select committee.
Trump's lawyers said there will be forthcoming tranches over which Trump plans to assert privilege.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: In 'Overwhelming' Decision, SCOTUS Rejects Trump Effort To Hide Docs From Jan. 6 Committee - from MSNBC