Pro-Trump protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the U.S. Congress from certifying the 2020 U.S. presidential elections results. The U.S. Capitol Building is located in Washington, D.C., U.S. January 6, 20,21.
On Monday, former President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit to stop White House records from his tenure being obtained by the congressional panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot by a mob led by Trump supporters.
The suit charges the chairman of the select committee, Rep. Bennie Thomson, D-Miss. with harassing Trump and other senior members of his government by sending "an illegal, unfounded and broad records request to Archivist of America."
The suit also charges President Joe Biden with "a political ploy" in refusing executive privilege to protect records from the House Select Committee on Investigating the January 6th Attack of the United States Capitol.
The suit states that "The Committee's request amounts nothing less than an inexorable, illegal fishing expedition openly supported by Biden to unconstitutionally probe President Trump and his government."
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court, Washington, D.C.
Trump is also suing Thompson and the committee.
As part of his investigation in August, Ferriero was contacted by Thompson to request documents and records.
The suit states that the Committee's requests sought to expose confidential and privileged information, but were not accompanied by a legitimate legislative purpose. Accordingly to the Court, the Court is able to declare the requests null and to stop their enforcement.
CNBC reached out to the select committee spokesperson but he did not respond immediately to our request for comment.
As the committee continues to investigate the riot in which hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, the lawsuit was filed.
The seven-member committee (two Republicans and two Democrats) has promised to move quickly and issued subpoenas for witnesses who were unlikely to cooperate.
The committee will meet Tuesday to discuss criminal contempt proceedings against former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, who refused to comply with a subpoena.
Shortly after Trump called for supporters to march to the Capitol from a rally outside the White House, a joint session Congress had just begun to confirm Biden's election as president.
Many thousands of people invaded the Capitol Complex, some fighting with police to stop them.
Five people were killed or injured in the riot and the next day, including Brian Sicknick (Capitol Police Officer), who was attacked by some of the rioters.
The House impeached Trump for inciting the riot. In a subsequent trial, he was cleared by the Senate.
