Ex US President
Documents on the storming of the Capitol: Donald Trump concedes defeat in the Supreme Court
May not withhold documents related to the Capitol storm a year ago: Ex-US President Donald Trump
© Mario Tama / Getty Images / AFP
Former US President Donald Trump may not refuse to hand over documents to the investigative committee into the Capitol storming. Eight of the nine Supreme Court justices denied his request.
Former US President Donald Trump has suffered a defeat in the Supreme Court in a dispute over the release of documents relating to the storming of the Capitol. According to a decision by the Supreme Court, Trump may not refuse to hand over documents to the committee investigating the storming of the Capitol. The Supreme Court in Washington rejected a corresponding application by the 75-year-old on Wednesday evening (local time). This clears the way for the documents to be handed over.
Trump had pleaded that as a former president he had so-called executive privilege and could therefore block the documents stored in the National Archives from being released. His attorneys, in their submission to the Supreme Court, described Congress’ request for documents as “remarkably broad” and accused the investigative committee of treating him as a “political enemy.”
Donald Trump had kept 770 pages of documents secret
However, the current administration of US President Joe Biden had released the documents. Several courts had previously ruled that the public interest in the documents and the incumbent president’s decision in this case exceeded a former president’s rights to confidentiality.
Republican Trump’s request was dismissed by a large majority of eight of the nine constitutional judges. This is notable since three of the justices were nominated for the Supreme Court by Trump himself. All three voted against Trump’s motion.
The 770 pages of documents Trump wants to keep secret include memos to his staff, emails and lists of people who visited or called him on January 6, 2021, and notes made during those conversations. The committee of inquiry set up by the House of Representatives wants to use the documents, among other things, to uncover the exact background to the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The storming of the Capitol: These images shook the world a year ago
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Committee subpoenaed around 400 witnesses
The committee’s chair, Democrat Bennie Thompson, and his vice chair, Republican Liz Cheney, welcomed the court’s decision. This is “a victory for the rule of law and American democracy,” they said. “Our work continues to uncover all the facts about the January 6 violence and its causes.”
Radical Trump supporters stormed the Capitol when Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the November 3, 2020 presidential election was to be certified there. The storming of the seat of Congress with five dead caused horror worldwide and is considered a black day in the history of US democracy.
The U-Committee has also summoned around 400 witnesses, including key former Trump employees such as his former top strategist Steve Bannon and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. However, they remain loyal to the former president and refuse to testify. Most recently, the committee summoned Trump’s ex-lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Tuesday.
Time is of the essence for the Biden-Democrat-dominated U Committee as it desperately wants to release its results ahead of November’s midterm elections. After that, a Republican majority threatens, which could bury the work of the committee. Trump, who to this day maintains his allegations of alleged electoral fraud, has not ruled out running again in 2024.