The former president is willing to ‘intervene in any litigation involving these privileges,’ his attorney said in a letter.
President Donald Trump told former Justice Department (DOJ) official Jeffrey Clark to honor his executive privilege in his upcoming disciplinary proceeding.
“In light of these circumstances and the pending D.C. Bar disciplinary proceeding against you, which is set to begin before Hearing Committee #12 on March 26, 2024,” Mr. Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche wrote in a letter on Jan. 12. “We hereby instruct you to maintain President Trump’s executive privilege and other related privileges, including law enforcement privilege, attorney client privilege, and deliberative process privilege.”
The letter reaffirmed President Trump’s stance on this issue, which was made clear in an Aug. 2, 2021, letter by Mr. Trump’s attorney Douglas Collins to Jeffery Clark.
The former president is willing to “intervene in any litigation involving these privileges,” Mr. Blanche said.
Mr. Trump’s move is regarded as likely a step to block testimony in the disciplinary proceeding of Mr. Clark, one of his few allies from the DOJ after the 2020 presidential election.
Mr. Clark is also one of the 18 defendants besides Mr. Trump in the Georgia election case brought up by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Clark Disciplinary Proceeding
The DOJ conducted some criminal investigations into allegations of election fraud and irregularities after the 2020 election but didn’t make any progress. Richard Donoghue, then-principal associate deputy attorney general in the office of deputy attorney general, was on top of those investigations.
William Barr, the attorney general at that time, announced twice in December 2020 that no evidence had been found to support the election fraud allegations.
Mr. Barr resigned on Dec. 23, 2020, and was replaced by Jeffrey Rosen as the acting Attorney general.
Mr. Donoghue was promoted to deputy Attorney General after Mr. Barr’s resignation.
By Allen Zhong
