Trump Sues January 6 House Committee Over ‘Illegal Fishing Expedition’

Updated:
Former President Donald Trump has sued the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot on January 6th, calling it an "illegal fishing expedition."

Former President Donald Trump has sued the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot on January 6th, calling it an “illegal fishing expedition.”

In the sweeping filing, Trump singles out the panel’s chairman, Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS), as well as the National Archives, and President Joe Biden.

“The Committee’s request amounts to nothing less than a vexatious, illegal fishing expedition openly endorsed by Biden and designed to unconstitutionally investigate President Trump and his administration,” the suit claims.

“Our laws do not permit such an impulsive, egregious action against a former President and his close advisors.”

The filing accuses the committee of trying to “harass” President Trump and his top aides while describing the whole charade as “an illegal, unfounded, and over-broad records request.”

RELATED: Kinzinger: ‘Realistic’ Chance Trump And Pence Are Subpoenaed For Jan. 6 Committee

Trump Argues Executive Privilege

The lawsuit comes as members of the January 6 committee have openly threatened to hold top Trump aides who insist on defying subpoenas in criminal contempt.

Those receiving subpoenas for documents and testimony include former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, former communications official Dan Scavino, and former Defense Department official Kash Patel.

Bannon has already refused to comply, citing Trump’s previous claims of executive privilege.

The committee threatened criminal charges and will, reportedly vote on such action Tuesday, a likely outcome as several members have made threats with one even going so far as to claim they’d use U.S. Marshals to round up anybody in defiance of their subpoenas.

Trump, in the lawsuit, tore into President Biden for not calling off the dogs.

“The request also seeks records with no reasonable connection to the events of that day,” it reads.

“In a political ploy to accommodate his partisan allies, President Biden has refused to assert executive privilege over numerous clearly privileged documents requested by the Committee,” the lawsuit continues.

“Our laws do not permit such an impulsive, egregious action against a former President and his close advisors.”

RELATED: US Marshals May ‘Round Up And Arrest’ Trump Aides That Ignore January 6 Panel Subpoenas

Committee Wants To Arrest Trump Aides

Representative Stephanie Murphy, one of the majority members of the committee, said last week that US Marshals may be utilized to round up and arrest aides to former President Trump if they ignore subpoenas.

“We have engaged with a wide variety of law enforcement offices, including the U.S. Marshals, in order to issue the subpoenas,” Murphy said in an interview.

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“We will use everything, as you said, with all due respect, we will use all of the agencies and all of the tools at our disposal to issue the subpoenas and enforce them.”

Representative Adam Kinzinger also said he believes there is a “realistic” chance the House select committee will subpoena Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence.

“It is realistic,” Kinzinger (R-IL) told his friends at CNN. “I mean, we’re not going to jump to doing that immediately because obviously, that’s big.”

Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), a member of the committee, dismissed the suit. 

Trump is “someone who likes to sue a lot,” she said.

“He’s engaged in frivolous lawsuits throughout his life.”

 

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By Rusty Weiss

Rusty Weiss has been covering politics for over 15 years. His writings have appeared in the Daily Caller, Fox... More about Rusty Weiss

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