Trump turns the tables and 'SERVES' Jan 6 Democratic committee chairman Bennie Thompson in his lawsuit trying to block Biden from releasing his White House records
- Rep. Bennie Thompson is named in former President Trump's lawsuit
- He is being served with a summons in connection with the suit
- The Jan. 6 panel he chairs has issued subpoenas to former Trump aides
- Trump is asserting executive privilege and wants a court to enjoin nation's archivist from handing over documents
- House Rules panel meeting Wednesday over holding Steve Bannon in criminal contempt
House Jan. 6th committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson – having served top former aides to former President Donald Trump with subpoenas – is now getting a summons himself dated Tuesday.
The summons informs the Mississippi Democrat that 'a lawsuit has been filed against you' by Trump, who in the document is described as in his 'capacity as 45th president of the United States.'
Trump used the same descriptor about himself in the suit filed by his lawyer Monday. It requires Thompson to provide a response within 21 days of receiving the service of summons. Trump is asserting executive privilege and wants a federal judge to enjoin the nation's archivist from handing over documents to the committee.
Thompson receiving a summons is a turnaround from prior business – when the committee subpoenaed a raft of former Trump Administration officials as part of its probe into the Capitol riot and demanded they appear to provide testimony and documents.
![Rep. Bennie Thompson is named in former President Trump's lawsuit, and has a deadline to respond to a summons dated Tuesday once he receives it](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/10/20/16/49420253-10112007-image-a-1_1634742600461.jpg)
Rep. Bennie Thompson is named in former President Trump's lawsuit, and has a deadline to respond to a summons dated Tuesday once he receives it
The document emerged just after the select House committee voted Tuesday night to hold former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress.
That sets up a House vote on Thursday to hold Bannon in contempt, which would trigger a referral to the Justice Department for potential prosecution for criminal contempt.
Democrats, who hold a narrow House majority, are expected to easily approve it. Two Republicans on the committee, Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, both voted for the contempt citation.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) at a Wednesday GOP conference meeting urged Republicans to vote 'no' on the Bannon contempt finding, CNN reported.
![An Oct. 19th summons for Bennie Thompson following former President Trump's lawsuit](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/10/20/16/49420607-10112007-image-a-4_1634742623688.jpg)
An Oct. 19th summons for Bennie Thompson following former President Trump's lawsuit
![The House is expected to vote Thursday on holding Steve Bannon in criminal contempt](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/10/20/16/49420249-10112007-image-a-2_1634742603176.jpg)
The House is expected to vote Thursday on holding Steve Bannon in criminal contempt
![Members of the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack prepare to recommend citing Steve Bannon for criminal contempt of Congress and refer him to DC's United States Attorney for prosecution in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC, USA, 19 October 2021](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/10/20/16/49420245-10112007-image-a-3_1634742610371.jpg)
Members of the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack prepare to recommend citing Steve Bannon for criminal contempt of Congress and refer him to DC's United States Attorney for prosecution in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC, USA, 19 October 2021
![The summons comes after the committee served several former top Trump aides](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/10/20/16/49420635-10112007-image-a-5_1634742632536.jpg)
The summons comes after the committee served several former top Trump aides
![Trump has repeatedly blasted the Jan. 6th committee as a 'witch hunt' that he compares to the Russia probe](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/10/20/16/49420241-10112007-image-a-7_1634742968780.jpg)
Trump has repeatedly blasted the Jan. 6th committee as a 'witch hunt' that he compares to the Russia probe
Scalise this spring urged Republicans to vote against establishing a bipartisan commission to probe Jan. 6th. Its failure in the Senate amid a Republican filibuster led to Pelosi's creation of the select committee.
'Based on the committee's investigation, it appears that Mr. Bannon had substantial advanced knowledge of the plans for January 6 and likely had an important role in formulating those plans,' Cheney said at the hearing.
'Mr. Bannon was in the war room at the Willard [hotel] on January 6th. He also appears to have detailed knowledge regarding the President’s efforts to sell millions of Americans the fraud that the election was stolen,' she said.
Cheney said Trump's assertion of executive privilege demonstrates 'that President Trump was personally involved in the planning and execution of January 6, and this committee will get to the bottom of that.'
![The committee has subpoenaed longtime Trump and White House aide Dan Scavino](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/10/20/16/49420669-10112007-image-a-6_1634742928447.jpg)
The committee has subpoenaed longtime Trump and White House aide Dan Scavino
Trump in a suit filed Monday in US District Court, names as defendants both the committee itself and Thompson, as well as archivist David Ferriero.
He is asking a federal court in Washington, D.C. to enjoin the National Archivist from handing over troves of information about the inner workings of the White House as part of its probe into the Jan. 6th riot.
'This self-described “sweeping” request is almost limitless in scope and effectively seeks every presidential record and communication that could tenuously relate to events that occurred on January 6, 2021,' according to the suit.
The filing also attacks President Biden, saying he 'refused' to exert privilege over document requests – following the panel's sweeping requests for records related to events at the White House Jan. 6th, as well as in the days leading up to the riot, which took place as Congress met to count the electoral votes that made Biden president.
The filing blasts a request for information on all of Trump's remarks on Jan. 6th – amid press reports of internal debates as advisors pleaded with him to tell his supporters to go home after the Capitol was breached.
'Issued public statements are one thing, but the notion that Congress is somehow entitled to ask for and review any and all private conversations, remarks, or drafts of public statements considered by the President of the United States and his close advisors, without limitations on (among other things) subject matter, would destroy the very fabric of our constitutional separation of powers and invade fundamental privileges designed to maintain the autonomy and functioning of the Executive Branch,' according to Trump's suit.
The committee said in response to Trump's suit: 'The Select Committee’s authority to seek these records is clear. We’ll fight the former President’s attempt to obstruct our investigation while we continue to push ahead successfully with our probe on a number of other fronts.'
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