Former President Trump accused the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol of trying to “distract” with its latest request for records.
In a statement issued through his Save America PAC, Trump slammed the “Leftist ‘select committee’” for asking for documents and communications from his administration as part of its probe.
“The Leftist ‘select committee’ has further exposed itself as a partisan sham and waste of taxpayer dollars with a request that’s timed to distract Americans from historic and global catastrophes brought on by the failures of Joe Biden and the Democrats,” Trump said.
The former president further said the “partisan exercise” will come at the “expense of long-standing legal principles of privilege,” adding that “executive privilege will be defended.”
“Executive privilege will be defended, not just on behalf of my Administration and the Patriots who worked beside me, but on behalf of the Office of the President of the United States and the future of our Nation,” Trump said. “These Democrats only have one tired trick—political theater—and their latest request only reinforces that pathetic reality.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the committee sent letters to several agencies, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Archives, where White House records are kept.
The panel asked for “all documents and communications related to efforts, plans, or proposals to contest the 2020 election results.”
The committee also asked for records of any conversations about whether Trump planned to enact martial law and if there were any plans to remove him for office.
The Department of Homeland Security was asked to turn over its intelligence and planning, while the Department of Defense asked about delays in sending the National Guard.
Two days prior, committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told reporters that the panel would seek records from hundreds of people, including lawmakers.
More than 570 people have been charged in the seven months since supporters of the former president stormed the Capitol in a bid to delay the certification of the 2020 election, the Justice Department said in a statement Wednesday.