Appeals court temporarily blocks Archives from handing Trump records to Jan. 6 committee

A federal appeals court on Thursday intervened to temporarily block the National Archives from handing over Trump administration records to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol ahead of a Friday deadline.

A three-judge panel for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary injunction keeping the records from being turned over to allow former President Trump to continue his legal challenge. 

“The purpose of this administrative injunction is to protect the court’s jurisdiction to address [Trump’s] claims of executive privilege and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits,” the panel said in a brief order. 

The panel also set a rapid pace for Trump’s appeal, scheduling oral arguments for Nov. 30.

The injunction comes after a frantic week of court filings, with Trump’s legal team scrambling to head off the Friday deadline despite a federal judge ruling Tuesday the documents must be released.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said in her decision that Trump had little authority as a former president to interfere with the exchange between the executive and legislative branches. 

Trump quickly appealed and asked Chutkan to stay her own decision while the legal challenge continued in the D.C. Circuit. On Wednesday the judge declined, forcing Trump to file an emergency motion with the appeals court. 

The Justice Department and the select committee chose not to oppose the emergency motion.

Trump’s next filing with the appeals court is due on Tuesday.