The former President has asked the Supreme Court to consider an interview the chairman, Bennie Thompson, gave to the Washington Post, in a bid to block his White House records. This comes even as the highest court contemplates taking up former US President Trump’s record case for the January 6 inquisition,
The Democrat from Mississippi said in the interview that the investigation by the January 6 committee into the actions by the ex-President could cause a criminal recommendation to the Department of Justice. There is suspicion that the outgoing President Trump delayed in calling on his followers to desist from rioting.
Bennie Thompson informed the Post that the alleged dereliction concerns the January 6 Committee. The concern centers around the fact that the delay could have been intentional. The concern also centers around the fact that the delay and lack of any action for a prolonged period would require a criminal referral.
Bennie Thompson further stated that if a criminal referral was warranted, the Committee would have no hesitation to go for it.
Trump’s Lawyers Allege That Bennie Thompson’s Interview Back Trump’s Allegations
Lawyers representing Donal Trump told the court that the observations by Bennie Thompson give credence to one of the key allegations of Donald Trump. He had said that the attempts to obtain records from that period in the White House don’t have a reasonable legislative purpose. Hence it should be blocked by the court.
Trump’s lawyers alleged that Bennie Thompson’s comments to the Washington Post prove that the Committee was ridiculing the constitutional mandate of the Congress that any request or investigation should have a legal legislative purpose.
They said that Bennie Thompson has said that the Committee intends to embark on a law enforcement inquiry with the mere justification that it could legislate grounded on the information that the investigation will throw up.
Trump raised similar comments from committee members when the case came up before the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. They spoke about the possibility that the ongoing investigation could lead to the exposure of wrongdoings by the ex-President.
The Supreme Court has not indicated its next move on the case. The Biden administration and the Democratic-controlled House may submit filings to the request by the ex-president on Thursday.
