Former US President Donald Trump indicated on Thursday that he will try to assert executive privilege to prevent a House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol from getting information from certain witnesses, CNN reported.
A source familiar with the former President's legal strategy confirmed to the network that an attorney for Trump sent letters to some of the subpoena targets, informing them of his plan to defend executive privilege.
"Executive privilege will be defended, not just on behalf of President Trump and his administration, but also on behalf of the Office of the President of the United States and the future of our nation," Taylor Budowich, director of communications for Save America and Trump, said in a statement.
The select committee investigating the January 6 riot at the US Capitol two weeks ago subpoenaed close aides and allies of Trump.
The four subpoenas went to former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, former adviser Steve Bannon and Kash Patel, a former chief of staff to then-acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller who had also served as an aide to Republican Rep. Devin Nunes.
In May, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to form a commission to probe the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The bill was approved in a 252-175 vote, with 35 Republicans joining all Democrats in support.
Two days later, however, Senate Republicans blocked the legislation. Senators voted 54-35 on the House-passed bill, falling short of the 10 GOP votes needed to get it over an initial hurdle.
Without any pathway forward in the Senate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would use her power to pursue a select committee in the House that will be controlled by Democrats.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy then protested Pelosi's refusal to seat two of the Republicans he named to the panel — Reps. Jim Banks and Jim Jordan.
The House of Representatives then voted 218-197 against McCarthy’s effort to seat his preferred members for the select committee.