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Biden rejects effort by Trump to keep White House visitor logs away from Jan. 6 committee

President Joe Biden's decision rejects claims of executive privilege by former President Donald Trump to keep White House visitor logs out of the hands of a House committee investigating the January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol. File Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI
1 of 4 | President Joe Biden's decision rejects claims of executive privilege by former President Donald Trump to keep White House visitor logs out of the hands of a House committee investigating the January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol. File Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 16 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden has rejected another effort by former President Donald Trump to keep official White House documents out of the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol.

White House counsel Dana Remus said in a letter to the National Archives on Tuesday that White House visitor logs should be turned over to the House Jan. 6 committee within the next two weeks. The logs show people who visited the White House when Trump was in office.

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The committee had been seeking the visitor logs, but Trump fought their release on claims of executive privilege.

"The president 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 these records and portions of records," Remus wrote in the letter, according to The New York Times.

President Donald Trump speaks at a "Save America" rally on the Ellipse near the White House on January 6, 2021. House investigators are seeking records from Trump's White House, including visitor logs that Trump tried to block from the committee. File Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI

"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."

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Remus said that the National Archives, which is the repository for all official presidential records, should turn over the visitor logs to the committee within 15 days.

Remus sent the letter to the National Archives on Tuesday and said she would notify Trump's attorneys on Wednesday.

The House committee investigating the Capitol attack has been seeking the visitor logs to get an idea of Trump's associations in the days and weeks leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault by radical Trump supporters who sought to block Biden's official certification as president-elect.

Last year, Biden rejected a similar claim of executive privilege for other documents sought by committee investigators. Trump unsuccessfully tried to block their release in court. The former president could also go to court to try and block the release of the visitor logs.

House investigates Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol

Sgt. Aquilino Gonell of the U.S. Capitol Police wipes away tears Tuesday as he testifies before members of the Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Pool Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI | License Photo

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