In the dispute over the surrender of files for the processing of the storming of the Capitol, the former American President Donald Trump obtained a short-term postponement.
One day before the National Archives were to hand over the documents from his time in the White House to the House of Representatives' investigative committee, the Washington Court of Appeals on Thursday approved an emergency appeal by Trump.
Majid Sattar
Political correspondent for North America based in Washington.
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As a result of the interim injunction of the three judges, the National Archives are now prohibited from handing over the documents to the Congress. The court emphasized that the postponement was not a decision on the merits. The case is due to be heard on November 30th. Congress has called for the files to be released in order to “find out every detail about what was going on in the White House on January 6 and in the previous days,” said committee chairman, Democrat Bennie Thompson.
Trump refers to the "executive privilege" that allows him to maintain secrecy. A federal court in the capital district of Washington ruled on Tuesday that parliamentary control rights enjoy priority. The reasoning stated that Trump's stance that he could disregard the express will of the executive branch was based on the assumption that his executive powers would be valid for life. But presidents are not kings, and the plaintiff is not president. President Joe Biden had agreed to Congressional file surrender to clarify the events of January 6, when a mob instigated by Trump tried to prevent certification of the presidential election result, and to ensure that such an attack on the constitution did not result could repeat.
The documents include records of Trump's then Chief of Staff at the White House, Mark Meadows, as well as the then presidential adviser Stephen Miller and legal advisor Patrick Philbin. The committee of inquiry has meanwhile asked Meadows to give a testimony to the MPs by Friday and to hand over files. Otherwise, proceedings will be initiated for disregarding Congress. Such a move has already been initiated against Trump ally Steve Bannon. The Ministry of Justice has to decide whether to prosecute the people. Thompson wrote that Meadows would not appear before the committee if this were considered a deliberate infraction. Meadows' attorney had previously announced that his client would not work with the committee,until the question of executive privilege, to which Trump is referring, has been resolved in court. The Biden government had previously informed the attorney that they were not exercising executive privilege in the Meadows case either.