Trump and his attorneys have long been trying to claim that the one-term, twice-impeached is still entitled to the executive privilege he enjoyed while “serving” as President of the United States when it comes to the growing investigation into Donald’s role in the infamous, violent January 6th Capitol riot. But one federal judge says that ain’t gonna fly.
As we’re all well aware by now, the House select committee is seeking numerous, various documents in connection to their investigation into the pro-Trump insurrection as the beginning of the year. Both the former president as well as his legal team have continually argued that the ex-president, as well as officials who served under his administration, are exempt from the committee’s demands and their documents are protected under the legal concept of executive privilege.
President Joe Biden has shot Trump’s claim down on multiple occasions, as have numerous legal experts from both the Conservative and Liberal sides of the fence. And now, so has a federal judge.
District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan for the District of Columbia, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, held a hearing today on Trump’s claims of executive privilege and certainly didn’t hide her skepticism at the idea of it. At one point during the hearing, Chutkan plainly stated, “There is only one executive.”
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If that’s the case (as we all know it is) that one executive certainly is not Donald Trump.
Further on into the hearing, Chutkan knocked down one Trump attorney’s claim relating to the separation of powers doctrine in constitutional law.
“I don’t see where the separation-of-powers argument that you’re making exists,” Chutkan said to the former guy’s attorney.
Ultimately, the federal judge explained that the concept of executive privilege is in place to protect the President that is currently serving in the White House — not all those to come before as well. “The person best able to determine whether there’s an executive privilege is the current executive,” Judge Chutkan stated.
Throughout the hearing, she did go on to note that some of the House select committee’s demands for documents may be far too broad. “There’s almost no limit to what you could be seeking,” she noted.
This isn’t the first time, even today, that Judge Chutkan has knocked Trump’s attorneys down a notch or two. Just earlier today, we reported that she was caught on audio recording having a laugh at the ex-president’s legal team’s expense when they attempted to cite a Reuters article as proof that Trump had been exonerated by both the FBI and the US Senate with regard to the Capitol riot — a claim that was categorically false.
You can read a full report on today’s hearing and Chutkan’s thoughts on Trump’s executive privilege from Newsweek here.
Featured image via screen capture
