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Trump asks Supreme Court to block release of documents

Donald Trump
Posted at 10:25 AM, Dec 23, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-23 12:25:18-05

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump turned to the Supreme Court Thursday in a last-ditch effort to keep documents away from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

A federal appeals court ruled against Trump two weeks ago but prohibited documents held by the National Archives from being turned over before the Supreme Court has a chance to weigh in.

Trump appointed three of the nine justices.

Trump is claiming that as a former president, he has the right to assert executive privilege over the records, arguing that releasing them would damage the presidency in the future.

But President Joe Biden disagreed, saying they were in the public's best interest and that executive privilege shouldn't be invoked, the Associated Press reported.

The news outlets reported that presidential diaries, visitor logs, speech drafts, and handwritten notes “concerning the events of January 6” are included in the document.

The AP reported that the records are vital as part of the investigation into the deadly Jan. 6 riot by the House committee.