WASHINGTON (Fwrd Axis) — President Joe Biden has once again refused to assert executive privilege over documents former President Donald Trump has attempted to keep out of the hands of the January 6 committee investigating the U.S. Capitol attack.
White House counsel Dana Remus sent a letter to National Archivist David Ferriero that Biden would not assert privilege over more documents that Trump requested remain sealed, citing executive privilege.
“President Biden has determined that an assertion of executive privilege is not in the best interests of the United States and therefore is not justified, as to the documents provided to the White House on September 16, 2021, and September 23, 2021. Accordingly, President Biden does not uphold the former President’s assertion of privilege,” Remus wrote.
Remus also wrote Biden directed the National Archives to provide the documents to the committee 30 days after notifying Trump, “absent any intervening court order.”
The news of the letter was first reported by CNN.
Trump has previously filed a lawsuit to block the release of other documents that the committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol is seeking. The same panel held former Trump strategist Steve Bannon in contempt for defying a subpoena and has not ruled out doing the same for the former president as well.
Bannon’s lawyer told CBS News that his client is acting on the instructions of Trump’s attorney.
“President Trump’s counsel stated that they were invoking executive and other privileges and therefore directed us not to produce documents or give testimony that might reveal information President Trump’s counsel seeks to legally protect,” Bannon’s lawyer said.
Other individuals who got a subpoena include former Justice Department official Jeffery Clark, Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, and communications director Dan Scavino
This story has been updated with more information.
