The National Archives Says It Has Not Recovered All the Records From Members of the Trump White House
The National Archives said it has not recovered all the records from members of the Trump administration. Under the Presidential Records Act, these records should have been transferred to the Archives. However, it will still consult the Department of Justice to determine how to best recover the records.
The National Archives said members of the Trump White House had not been held accountable
The Trump administration is under fire for not preserving records, including emails from high-ranking administration officials. According to the National Archives, the Trump administration did not copy official messages on personal phones and unofficial messaging accounts. The White House is required by law to copy all official records. The Trump administration also failed to copy the presidential records act to prevent the misuse of official communications.
In response, the National Archives said it had received documents from the Trump White House and pieced together the ripped-up records. The archivist said the matter was referred to the Justice Department, but did not comment on any potential criminal investigations. However, the Justice Department did say that it had not made a decision on whether to pursue criminal charges based on the alleged violations.
The FBI recovered more than 300 classified documents from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club
An investigation has revealed that Trump may have illegally stored classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club. Authorities say he may have violated three U.S. laws, including the Espionage Act. The New York Times reports that the FBI has recovered more than 300 documents from the president’s Mar-a-Lago club. The documents include CIA, National Security Agency, and FBI materials. The content of the documents has not been released, but sources say they contained a large number of sensitive information. The search was authorized by Attorney General Merrick Garland and approved by a federal magistrate after the FBI asserted that a crime may have been committed.
The investigation began after the National Archives recovered 15 boxes of documents from the club. The boxes contained more than 150 classified materials. This discovery triggered a federal criminal investigation by the Justice Department. The FBI and DOJ then conducted a search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on August 8. Agents found 11 sets of classified materials.
The National Archives hasn’t fully preserved social media posts
The National Archives has not fully preserved social media posts of members of the current administration. Since receiving the president’s electronic records in November 2021, the archive has been working with social media companies to retrieve missing records. These records include tweets and other social media posts that have been deleted by the president or his staff. The Presidential Records Act requires the government to preserve materials created in the course of official duties. But some of the president’s social media posts and tweets may not qualify.
The Archives hasn’t fully preserved social media postings of members of the Trump White House. The agency has asked the Justice Department to investigate Trump’s decision to remove the documents. However, the Justice Department has not yet responded to its request.
Navarro refused to comply with a subpoena
Peter Navarro, a former top trade adviser in the White House, is charged with contempt of congress for allegedly refusing to comply with a subpoen. The subpoena was issued by a select committee in January and February, but Navarro refused to produce any documents. As a result, the committee asked the Justice Department to pursue charges against Navarro. He also acknowledged receiving a federal grand jury subpoena related to Jan. 6.
Navarro’s defense is based on the theory that the select committee is not legally constituted. This argument was made by some Trump allies in the past, but has been rejected by federal courts. In addition, Navarro’s argument that Biden could not waive executive privilege is unlikely to stand up in court. The supreme court has rejected such an interpretation.
The National Archives must catalog the contents of every file in hundreds
To ensure the safety of the nation’s historical records, the National Archives must catalog the contents of every file it holds. This process can be time-consuming. The process involves hundreds of steps, including identifying and cataloging the files, and deciding which are best for public access. In 2006, the Archivist of the United States announced a program to reclassify documents. The aim of the program is to prevent researchers from identifying sensitive documents that should remain classified.
Archivists must follow archival best practices in order to preserve historical documents. This principle is known as the principle of provenance. In French, it is expressed as “respect des fonds,” which means “respect the body of the records.” This principle refers to the natural order of the records. When cataloging archives, the archivists must consider the order in which records were originally stored, label them accordingly, and store them in appropriate areas.
