House committee investigating Capitol riot reviewing thousands of documents
Written by ABC AUDIO on September 11, 2021
(WASHINGTON) — The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack is in the process of reviewing thousands of pages of documents obtained in response to requests made of federal government agencies and 35 social media and communication companies in recent weeks.
A spokesperson for the committee said that documents have come in from “nearly all Executive Branch agencies.” Last month, the committee sent records requests to eight government agencies, seeking records from the Trump White House and administration related to the riot and efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
It was not immediately clear what documents the committee has in their possession, but sources familiar with what has been obtained so far say the records came from both social media companies and government agencies.
The panel sent requests to the National Archives — which maintains and preserves Trump White House records — the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior, the FBI and several intelligence community agencies.
The committee has not yet received documents from the National Archives, which is in the process of reviewing the request.
“The Select Committee is also aware that the National Archives has undertaken the process required by law for identifying records and notifying relevant parties,” a committee spokesperson said.
In the 12-page letter to the National Archives, the committee requested records pertaining to more than 30 White House aides, lawyers, Trump family members and outside advisers, along with West Wing communications, records and visitors logs on and around the day of the Capitol riot.
In a statement following the request, former President Donald Trump slammed the investigation as a “partisan exercise” that is “being performed at the expense of long-standing legal principles of privilege.”
“Executive privilege will be defended,” Trump said.
It’s not clear what conversations the Biden White House is engaged in related to executive privilege. Biden has said his administration wants to help the investigation, but sources say there could be reluctance within the West Wing and Department of Justice to set new precedents regarding executive privilege and what presidential records Congress can access and obtain.
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