No. 21-932

Donald J. Trump, former President of the United States v. Bennie G. Thompson, in His Official Capacity as Chairman of the United States House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, et al.

Lower Court: District of Columbia
Docketed: 2021-12-23
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Amici (7)
Tags: congressional-oversight constitutional-law executive-privilege preliminary-injunction presidential-records-act records-request separation-of-powers
Key Terms:
JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2022-02-18
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Committee's records request violates the Constitution or laws of the United States entitling President Trump to a preliminary injunction prohibiting production of the records to the Committee

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED The United States House of Representatives’ Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol issued a “sweeping” request, seeking many of President Trump’s confidential presidential records. The request implicates important constitutional and statutory concerns arising from the Presidential Records Act, separation of powers, and executive privilege. Nevertheless, the Biden Administration now seeks to produce those records to the Committee, and will do so, absent court intervention. The question presented is: Whether the Committee’s records request violates the Constitution or laws of the United States entitling President Trump to a preliminary injunction prohibiting production of the records to the Committee.

Docket Entries

2022-02-22
Petition DENIED.
2022-02-22
Motion for leave to file amici brief filed by States United Democracy Center, et al. GRANTED.
2022-01-26
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/18/2022.
2022-01-19
Reply of petitioner Donald J. Trump filed.
2022-01-19
The application for stay of mandate and injunction pending review presented to The Chief Justice and by him referred to the Court is denied. The questions whether and in what circumstances a former President may obtain a court order preventing disclosure of privileged records from his tenure in office, in the face of a determination by the incumbent President to waive the privilege, are unprecedented and raise serious and substantial concerns. The Court of Appeals, however, had no occasion to decide these questions because it analyzed and rejected President Trump’s privilege claims “under any of the tests [he] advocated,” Trump v. Thompson, 20 F. 4th 10, 33 (CADC 2021), without regard to his status as a former President, id., at 40–46. Because the Court of Appeals concluded that President Trump’s claims would have failed even if he were the incumbent, his status as a former President necessarily made no difference to the court’s decision. Id., at 33 (noting no “need [to] conclusively resolve whether and to what extent a court,” at a former President’s behest, may “second guess the sitting President’s” decision to release privileged documents); see also id., at 17 n. 2. Any discussion of the Court of Appeals concerning President Trump’s status as a former President must therefore be regarded as nonbinding dicta. Justice Thomas would grant the application. Statement of Justice Kavanaugh respecting denial of application. (Detached <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a272_9p6b.pdf'>opinion</a>)
2022-01-19
Application (21A272) referred to the Court.
2022-01-18
Brief amici curiae of Government Accountability Project, et al. filed.
2022-01-13
Reply of applicant Donald J. Trump filed.
2022-01-11
Brief amicus curiae of America First Legal Foundation filed.
2022-01-11
Brief amicus curiae of Jack Jordan filed.
2022-01-07
Brief amicus curiae of Former White House Chief of Staff Mark R. Meadows filed.
2022-01-04
Motion for leave to file amici brief filed by States United Democracy Center, et al.
2021-12-30
Response to application from respondents Bennie G. Thompson and the House of Representatives Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol filed.
2021-12-30
Brief of respondents Bennie G. Thompson and the House of Representatives Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol in opposition filed.
2021-12-30
Response to application from Executive Branch Respondents filed.
2021-12-30
Brief of Executive Branch Respondents in opposition filed.
2021-12-29
Motion for leave to file amicus curiae brief filed by Former Executive Branch Lawyers.
2021-12-29
Supplemental brief of petitioner Donald J. Trump filed.
2021-12-23
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due January 24, 2022)
2021-12-23
Motion for expedited consideration of the petition for a writ of certiorari filed by respondents.
2021-12-23
Application (21A272) for a stay of mandate and injunction pending review, submitted to The Chief Justice.

Attorneys

America First Legal Foundation
Reed Darrow RubinsteinAmerica First Legal Foundation, Amicus
Reed Darrow RubinsteinAmerica First Legal Foundation, Amicus
Bennie G. Thompson and the House of Representatives Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol
Douglas Neal LetterOffice of General Counsel, Respondent
Douglas Neal LetterOffice of General Counsel, Respondent
Donald J. Trump
Jesse Ryan BinnallBinnall Law Group, PLLC, Petitioner
Jesse Ryan BinnallBinnall Law Group, PLLC, Petitioner
Executive Branch Respondents
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark R. Meadows
George J. Terwilliger IIIMcGuireWoods LLP, Amicus
George J. Terwilliger IIIMcGuireWoods LLP, Amicus
Government Accountability Project, Government Information Watch, National Security Counselors, Louis Fisher, Heidi Kitrosser, Mark J. Rozell, Jonathan Shaub, and Mitchel A. Sollenberger
Kelly Brian McClanahanNational Security Counselors, Amicus
Kelly Brian McClanahanNational Security Counselors, Amicus
Jack Jordan
Jack Revels Tucker JordanJack Jordan, Amicus
Jack Revels Tucker JordanJack Jordan, Amicus
States United Democracy Center and Former Federal, State, and Local Officials
Norman L. EisenStates United Democracy Center, Amicus
Norman L. EisenStates United Democracy Center, Amicus