Families of Sept. 11 victims are expected to ask a federal appeals court on Wednesday to order the government to release documents that they say tie the Saudi Arabian government to the plot to hijack airplanes and crash them into New York and D.C.
With past presidents in attendance at this year’s 9/11 commemoration in New York, several family members openly faulted the U.S. government for keeping these materials secret.
"Administration after administration, including leaders in front of us here today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families," Terry Strada, the widow of 9/11 victim Tom Strada, said during the ceremony.
Evidence released so far as part of a lawsuit traces the activities of Omar al Bayoumi, a Saudi national who had been living in California. The families say he was a Saudi intelligence asset who assisted at least two of the hijackers.
Many of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi nationals, according to the FBI, along with a few others from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Lebanon.
The Saudis have repeatedly denied having any role in facilitating the attacks and replied in court that they remain "an ally of the United States [and] a sworn enemy of Al Qaeda."
The decision on whether to declassify additional records ultimately lies with President Donald Trump, whose administration has touted government transparency.
A White House spokesperson told ABC News last month that "President Trump is leading the most transparent administration in history, and his team is working diligently to identify records that are responsive to these families' request."