Trump's claims that he alone has the right to assert executive privilege also appear designed to obstruct the committee's work with interminable legal suits and appeals through multiple courts. Trump had already filed a lawsuit to try to prevent an earlier batch of documents reaching the committee after Biden refused to intervene. "Accordingly, President Biden does not uphold the former President's assertion of privilege," Remus wrote. The former Trump political guru's claims are regarded by legal experts as especially thin since he was not a government official at the time of the Capitol insurrection. Presidents have sometimes been open to executive privilege claims from predecessors in the apparent hope that they can expect similar courtesy when they leave office.

Source: CNN October 26, 2021 21:26 UTC