Former President Trump filed a lawsuit on Friday to counter a subpoena from the Jan. 6 select committee.
Why it matters: Trump’s move likely eliminates the possibility of him testifying before the panel, which is set to release its final report in the coming months and dissolve by the end of the year.
- Fighting the lawsuit would draw the committee into a protracted court battle.
What they’re saying: Trump’s attorney David A. Warrington said in a statement that the ex-president “engaged with the Committee in a good faith effort” to resolve his concerns around executive privilege.
- “This partisan Committee insists on pursuing a political path, leaving President Trump with no choice but to involve the third branch, the judicial branch, in this dispute between the executive and legislative branches,” Warrington said.
- In a 41-page complaint, Trump’s lawyers argued a former president can’t be compelled to testify before Congress.
- The lawsuit also draws on a long-held Republican case that the committee is illegitimate and lacks the authority to issue valid subpoenas.
The other side: A committee spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit.
- The panel’s last public comment on the matter was a statement from Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) extending the Nov. 4 deadline for Trump to hand over records until Nov. 11.
