A federal judge told disgraced former president Donald Trump that he is not above the rule of law or the Constitution as she eviscerated his assertion of executive privilege.
“Presidents are not kings,” Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote, adding: “And Plaintiff is not President,” as she ruled that only Joe Biden — and not former occupants of the Oval Office — may determine privilege claims.
trump hoped to stop the National Archives from turning over hundreds of documents to the House investigative committee examining the attempted coup d’état on January 6.
Headlines were quick to cajole, ridicule or mock Trump’s legal smackdown, with Vanity Fair offering this title: Trump’s Executive Privilege Claims Shot Down Faster Than You Can Say “Failed Coup”
Nearly a dozen Trump allies received subpoenas from the House committee investigating the Capitol attack on Tuesday, one day after six others were announced Monday.
Judge Chutkan determined Trump does not have the authority to overrule President Biden’s decision to waive executive privilege and release the documents to Congress.
The sought-after documents include files from Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, adviser Stephen Miller, and White House deputy counsel Patrick Philbin.
They also contain call and visitor logs.
“Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President,” Judge Chutkan wrote in her ruling.
The National Archives said it will turn over the material to the committee on Friday, barring court intervention.
Lawyers for Trump immediately appealed Judge Chutkan’s decision.
In Chutkan’s ruling, she outlined Trump’s concerted efforts to cast doubt on the election results, which included him urging his supporters to put pressure on state lawmakers to not certify Biden’s election victory.
In the wake of those actions, Trump supporters headed to the Capitol, which was breached on Jan. 6, ending in violence.
Hundreds involved have since been charged and arrested, many blaming Trump for their actions but the Justice Department’s has not appeared eager to procecute the former president for his crimes related to the attempted coup d’état or for his misconduct while he was in office.
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