Court rules Trump cannot block release of documents to Capitol attack panel

Donald Trump, the former US president, suffered a major defeat on Thursday when a federal appeals court ruled against his effort to block the release of documents related to the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.

Trump is expected to appeal to the supreme court.

The appeals court ruled an injunction that has prevented the National Archives from turning over the documents will expire in two weeks, or when the supreme court rules on an expected appeal from Trump, whichever is later.

Arguing for the committee, the US House lawyer Douglas Letter said the determination of a current president should outweigh predecessors in almost all circumstances and noted that both Biden and Congress were in agreement that the 6 January records should be turned over.

The court agreed.

All three of the appeals court judges who heard the arguments were nominated by Democrats. Millett and Judge Robert Wilkins were nominated by Barack Obama. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is a Biden appointee seen as a contender for a supreme court seat should one open during the current administration.

Trump is almost certain to appeal to the supreme court, where three of the nine justices were appointed during his presidency. The court would be asked to weigh the views of a former president versus those of the incumbent on the scope of executive privilege.

The House committee said on Thursday it is moving toward holding Meadows in contempt of Congress after he failed to cooperate. It said it would hold a business meeting on Monday to vote on a report recommending the full House cite Meadows for contempt of Congress and refer him for federal prosecution.

Trump also faces legal peril in New York, where attorney general Letitia James is seeking a deposition him early next year as part of her investigation into alleged fraud inside the Trump Organization.