Donald Trump To Exercise Executive Privilege In Jan. 6 House Probe

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Former President Donald Trump has sought the privilege of barring witnesses from testifying before a select committee in the House investigating the unrest at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

The committee cited former social media czar Dan Scavino, former Defense Department official Kash Patel, former chief of staff Mark Meadows, and former White House adviser Steve Bannonas as part of the investigation. The four men were instructed to turnover documents related to the events on Jan. 6 and prepare themselves for interviews with investigators.

Lawyers representing Trump sent each man a letter, instructing them not to comply with subpoenas. The letters said the committee was looking for materials protected by executive privilege.

“President Trump is prepared to defend these key privileges in court,” Trump’s lawyers wrote, according to Politico.

It is not known whether the men will comply with the subpoenas. However, if they refuse, they could be charged with criminal contempt in Congress. If convicted, they could face up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $ 100,000.

It’s unclear if Trump’s attempt to assert executive privilege will work. Since he is no longer president, that decision is not up to him. Any decision on what is under executive privilege will be made by President Joe Biden. While the White House has previously said they will not use executive privilege to protect Trump from the House investigation, the administration has softened its stance, saying it will review matters on a “case-by-case” basis.

“The privilege of the executive will be defended, not only on behalf of President Trump and his administration, but also on behalf of the Office of the President of the United States and the future of our country,” Trump spokeswoman Taylor Budowichsaid in a statement.

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