Court rules Trump cannot block release of documents to Capitol attack panel

Donald Trump, the former US president, suffered a major defeat on Thursday when a federal appeals court ruled against his effort to block the release of documents related to the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.

Trump is expected to appeal to the supreme court.

A select committee in the House of Representatives is investigating the events on and surrounding 6 January, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in a bid to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s election win. Amid scenes of violence that shocked America and the world, five people eventually died and scores were injured.

Trump and a clique of his close advisors have repeatedly engaged in legal action over the committee’s investigations, including refusing to cooperate with it.

But in a 3-0 decision, the United States court of appeals for the District of Columbia said there was a “unique legislative need” for documents that the committee has requested but whose release Trump has sought to keep secret through executive privilege – a legal doctrine that protects the confidentiality of some White House communications.