Former US President Donald Trump on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to block the transfer of documents to a parliamentary committee tasked with shedding light on his role in the January 6 assault by his supporters on the Capitol.
Lawyers for the Republican billionaire have asked the highest court in the United States to overturn a decision taken in early December by a federal appeals court that rejected its attempt to keep the White House records confidential .
This appeals court paved the way on December 9 for the transfer of hundreds of pages of documents to the parliamentary committee investigating this attack on the United States Congress, which shocked the United States and the world. However, she had left him fourteen days to appeal to the Supreme Court, which the former president therefore did in extremis.
Donald Trump, who remains central in his camp and does not rule out running for the 2024 presidential election, wants to keep these archives secret, including, among other things, the lists of people who visited or called him on January 6. , demanded by a parliamentary commission in the hands of the Democrats.
This “special committee” of the House of Representatives reacted by asking the Supreme Court to speed up the examination of Donald Trump’s request, arguing according to the American press that a delay “would cause serious damage” to the committee as well. than the American public.
It was set up to assess the role played by Donald Trump and his entourage in the attack led by thousands of his supporters on the seat of Congress to try to prevent elected officials from certifying the victory of his opponent Joe Biden in the presidential election.
The former president, who denies any responsibility for the attack, denounces “a political game” and refuses to collaborate. He took legal action in the name of a prerogative of the executive power to keep his communications confidential, even in the event of summons issued by Congress and “even after the end of his mandate”.
Anniversary press conference
Donald Trump announced this week that he would hold a press conference from his stronghold of Mar-a-Lago, Fla. On Jan.6 for the anniversary of the attack, repeating – without merit – that the election of November 2020 was stolen from him.
The former president took the opportunity to criticize the parliamentary commission of inquiry, accusing it of being “extremely biased”. Rather, it should investigate “the fraudulent presidential election of 2020,” he said.
The parliamentary committee is racing against time, as it wants at all costs to publish its findings before the mid-term legislative elections, in less than a year, in which the Republicans could regain control of the House and bury its work .
But Donald Trump has warned those around him not to collaborate and legal battles over whether or not to testify will slow down the process.
The shadow of the former president continues to hang over the American political landscape.
In an interview broadcast Wednesday night by ABC, President Biden, 79, said that a candidacy of Donald Trump in three years would encourage him to run for a second term.
“Why wouldn’t I run against Donald Trump if he was a candidate?” It would increase the chances of me showing up, ”he said.