U.S. Archives turns over Trump White House visitor logs to Jan. 6 committee

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration has delivered White House visitor logs from former President Donald Trump’s administration to the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the committee said on Friday.

NARA also turned over records from former Vice President Mike Pence, meeting a March 3 deadline.

“Yesterday, the Select Committee received additional production of records from the National Archives,” a House of Representatives Select Committee aide said. “This included records that the former President attempted to keep hidden behind claims of privilege.”

Trump had tried to block the release of the visitor logs, but President Joe Biden rejected his claim that they were subject to executive privilege, “in light of the urgency” of the committee’s work and Congress’ “compelling need.”

Several courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have also ruled against the Republican ex-president’s efforts to block the release of various records to the committee.

So far, more than 725 people have been charged with playing a role in the attack on the Capitol by mobs of Trump supporters, which left five people dead and more than 100 police officers injured. Another four police officers involved in defending the Capitol later committed suicide.

The Jan. 6 committee has been investigating the events surrounding the attack – and the former president’s role in it – for more than seven months. It has made more than 80 subpoenas public, including many issued to top Trump aides and allies, and interviewed more than 560 witnesses.

It has also gathered records from social media and other telecommunications firms.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Mark Porter)