The Biden White House on Friday formally shot down former President Donald Trump's request to block the House select committee investigating the Capitol riots from obtaining key documents.
In a letter obtained by NBC News, White House Counsel Dana Remus argued that there is no justification for withholding the documents, despite Trump attorneys' claims that handing them over would harm the interests of the executive branch.
"President Biden has determined that an assertion of executive privilege is not in the best interests of the United States, and therefore is not justified as to any of the documents," Remus argued. "Congress is examining an assault on our Constitution and democratic institutions provoked and fanned by those sworn to protect them, and the conduct under investigation extends far beyond typical deliberations concerning the proper discharge of the President's constitutional responsibilities."
Remus continued by saying that "the constitutional protections of executive privilege should not be used to shield, from Congress or the public, information that reflects a clear and apparent effort to subvert the Constitution itself."
The White House has been telegraphing for weeks that it will not adhere to Trump's request to withhold the documents, but Friday was the first time that the administration made a formal move.
In other news, a bombshell report Friday revealed that Trump's Washington, D.C. hotel — which he claimed brought in $150 million — actually incurred more than $70 million in losses. WATCH:
Bombshell report on Trump’s DC hotel finds he exaggerated income, accepted foreign payments and coyoutu.be
