Trump sues to block Jan. 6 committee subpoena

Former President Trump sued to block a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack on Friday night, as deadlines approach for him to produce documents and sit for a deposition.

The committee unanimously voted to subpoena the former president during its public hearing last month. 

After Trump missed a deadline to produce documents last week, the Jan. 6 committee agreed to provide a one-week extension. The subpoena also requested that the former president appear for a deposition next Monday.

However, Friday’s filing argued that the subpoena was invalid, claiming that Trump has “absolute immunity from being compelled to testify before Congress” as a former president. Trump also argued that the subpoena was an “unwarranted intrusion on the institution of the Presidency” and that it sought information protected by executive privilege.

“As a result of the Committee’s self-described ‘unprecedented’ action, President Trump has been put in the untenable position of choosing between preserving his rights and the constitutional prerogatives of the Executive Branch, or risking enforcement of the Subpoena issued to him,” the filing claimed.

Trump was widely expected to fight the subpoena from the beginning given his hostility toward the committee, which he has frequently called a “witch hunt.”

The filing comes as the former president appears set to announce his 2024 presidential campaign next Tuesday.

Updated at 9:47 p.m.