Donald Trump slammed the House Capitol riot committee on Wednesday after it demanded the former president's mental health records as it seeks more communication from the White House in the 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 released in a statement.
'Unfortunately, this partisan exercise is being performed at the expense of long-standing legal principles of privilege,' he continued. '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.'
'These Democrats only have one tired trick—political theater—and their latest request only reinforces that pathetic reality.'
The House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack released a slew of documents related to the probe on Wednesday, including interest in Trump's mental health records.
Also requested from the White House is whether the former president considered using military force to remain as president after Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
The head of the panel, Representative Bennie Thompson, fired off a series of sweeping demands for information on the last days of the Trump administration – with an effort to use photos, time stamps, and documents to recreate the day minute-by-minute.
Trump released a statement Wednesday slamming the Capitol riot panel for demanding White House documents related to his mental health at the time of the January 6 attack
Other requests demand any documents related to the Constitution's 25th Amendment for cases where the cabinet seeks to remove a president for being 'unable' to discharge the duties of the office.
The panel wants the Pentagon to hand over information on the use of the Insurrection Act, communications on 'the establishment of martial law,' and information on 'defying orders from the President.'
The requests also seek out detailed information about personnel changes at the Pentagon in the last weeks of the Trump administration, as Trump installed political loyalists and former Defense chiefs warned the military must stay out of politics.
Taken in total, the requests indicate an aggressive effort to patch together a full accounting both of Trump's effort to overturn the election results by searching through a trove of government data and documents to reconstruct his efforts, as well as catalogue internal resistance.
Thompson, who chairs the select committee established by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic-run House after the collapse of a push to create an independent commission, is calling on the nation's archivist to hand over detailed information from inside the White House that was transferred into the custody of that office after Joe Biden was sworn in.
The 12-page letter to the archivist seeks to dive deep into Trump's election overturn effort, asking for 'all documents and communications related to efforts, plans, or proposals to contest the 2020 Presidential elections.'
The House select committee probing the Capitol riots is seeking detailed White House information about Jan. 6th and Trump'e election overturn effort
This includes discussions about 'delaying or impeding the electoral count' – amid Trump's public and since-revealed private conversations claiming fraud and demanding action by Justice Department officials.
The letter lists election officials that were the focus of Trump's efforts, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.
It also lists attorneys involved in Trump's effort, including longtime associate Rudy Giuliania, 'Kraken' lawyer Sidney Powell, and lawyers Kurt Olsen and Cleta Mitchell, and seeks information on 'MyPillow' CEO Mike Lindell, who was spotted at the White House in the last days of the administration.
It even seeks polling and forecasting information from Trump's pollster Tony Fabrizio. Trump has repeatedly cited polls saying he would win the election as evidence that it must have been stolen.
Thompson's panel wants White House visitor logs showing who was in the building the day of the 'Stop the Steal' rally that preceded the Capitol riot.
'The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is examining the facts, circumstances, and causes of the January 6th attack,' Thompson said in a statement.
It also seeks information on extremist groups including the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, QAnon, and Three Percenters.
And the committee seeks information on a variety of figures in Trump's orbit or who were connected to Stop the Steal events, including Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, former national security advisor Mike Flynn, and former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, as well as longtime informal Trump advisor Roger Stone.
Lawmakers want any information on Capitol security that the White House had and information on the electoral count that took place that day
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani is one of dozens of officials committee investigators identified
Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio is among the individuals the committee is seeking information on in requests to the archives
It also wants information on MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell
It also lists informal Trump advisor and pardon recipient Roger Stone
An earlier request sought information on Trump White House official and family members including Ivanka Trump
'Our Constitution provides for a peaceful transfer of power, and this investigation seeks to evaluate threats to that process, identify lessons learned and recommend laws, policies, procedures, rules, or regulations necessary to protect our republic in the future.'
A letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin seeks information on 'potential or actual changes' in DOD personnel between Election Day and Inauguration Day. It seeks 'all documents and communications relating to the potential use of military power to impede or ensure the peaceful transfer of power,' and regarding a delay in transition activities.
A more general request to the Pentagon seeks 'All documents and communications concerning possible attempts by President Donald Trump to remain in office after January 20, 2021.'
The letter asks for all documents relating to DOD officials seeking to contact Trump on January 6th – when there was a delay in getting forces to back up out-manned Capitol and D.C. police.
And it seeks 'all documents and communications relating to the Twenty-Fifth Amendment' – which governs a way to remove an unfit or incapacitated president from office – between the election and January 20th.
The letters by Thompson's panel, which includes Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, also re-ups March requests by the House Oversight Committee that have not yet been fulfilled.
The panel has subpoena power if agencies refuse to comply.
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