ings to Know about the Newly Released Trump, National Archives Documents

A public records release sheds new light on the FBI raid at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, as well as the 15 boxes of documents Trump previously provided.

Late Monday, the National Archives and Records Administration released 65 pages in response to a public record request from The Daily Signal, Heritage Oversight Project and other media and watchdog organisations.

The documents mentioned North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as Trump’s predecessor in office. There was also lengthy correspondence between Trump and House Democrats investigating him, asking for him to be “accountable”. This is a law that requires that presidents who leave office transfer administrative records to the National Archives.

Trump was in possession of classified information. According to the information, some documents were torn up and taped back together.

To stop the release of approximately 3,000 pages of documents, the National Archives invoked several exemptions to Freedom of Information Act. The exemptions were based on an ongoing Justice Department investigation as well as the agency’s discussions with Congress about what documents to release.

The Heritage Foundation, which is the parent organization of The Daily Signal , sued the National Archives and the Justice Department in September, after the agencies refused to comply in public records requests about the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, August.

The documents only provided a glimpse into correspondence between Trump’s predecessor at the White House, the 45th president, and North Korean dictator Kim. There were also lengthy exchanges with House Democrats and archives officials.

Here are six key points from the records.

1. Kim Jong Un Correspondence

Gary Stern , National Archives general counsel, emailed lawyers from the Trump White House, Patrick Philbin and Mike Purpura, asking for records.

Gast was “very helpful” in helping with social media records of Trump. However, the email also noted that “there are now certain paper/textual documents that we cannot account.”

Stern wrote in an email that “For example, the original correspondence between North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump were not transferred to us.” It is vital that these original records are transferred to NARA as soon possible.

Trump met with Kim in 2018 to try to convince that the dictator should denuclearize.

2. Obama’s First Day Letter

Stern also requested a letter from President Barack Obama for Trump during his presidential transition.

Stern sent an email to the former Trump presidential lawyers, stating that “likewise, the letter President Obama left for President Trump on the first day in office hasn’t been transferred; that letter was received by President Trump upon his term began, and it is a presidential record”.

Correspondence between presidents such as Obama or Trump could add to the historical record.

After negotiations, Trump transferred 15 boxes to the National Archives in Jan.

3. House Democrats Hound Archives for Trump

House Democrats began to stress that Trump and his senior advisers must also be held responsible” for violating the Presidential Records Act in February.

On February 9, House Oversight and Reform CommitteeChairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) pressed the National Archives for more information on documents it had obtained from Trump.

“The committee is looking for information about the 15 boxes presidential records that the National Archives and Records Administration(NARA) recently retrieved from former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home,” the Maloney letter addressed to Archivist David S. Ferriero states.

“I am deeply concerned that these documents were not provided promptly to NARA at the end Trump’s administration and that they appear have been removed from White House in violation the Presidential Records Act,” the letter states.

The Maloney letter was sent two days after The Washington Post reported that Trump had taken 15 boxes of documents from his Mar-a-Lago residence to store.

Maloney wrote that “Removing or concealing records of government agencies is a crime punishable by up three years in prison.” Sandy Berger, a former National Security Advisor, was charged with taking classified documents from NARA. For any violations of law, former President Trump and his senior advisers must be held accountable.

Berger, President Bill Clinton’s national-security adviser, took documents related the 9/11 Commission investigation.

The letter contained eight questions and a deadline to reply by February 18.

Krista Boyd, a House Democrat staffer, asked Krista in an email: “I’m checking-in to confirm that NARA will reply to the chairwoman’s letter by tomorrow’s date.” John Hamilton, National Archives Director of Congressional Relations, replied, “We are working to it and we hope to be able to have it for your tomorrow.” He then sent another email, “I expect the letter to you this afternoon.”

Ferriero, the Archivist of the United States, answered most of the questions on February 18, 2022. He wrote to Maloney, stating that “NARA had ongoing communication with the representatives of former President Trump throughout 2021 which resulted into the transfer of 15 boxes from NARA in January 2022.”

The Presidential Records Act requires that the Presidents who leave office must transfer administrative records to the National Archives.

“With regard to the Trump presidential records the legal transfer took effect on January 20, 2021. It is not unusual for NARA to delay taking physical custody of all records.

Maloney inquired if the agency had “conducted an inventory on the contents of Mar-a-Lago’s boxes?” The archivist replied, “NARA is currently in the process inventorying the contents.”

4. ‘Classified National Security Information’

Maloney’s Feb. 9 letter also asked the key question that is central to the FBI’s investigation of Trump and the records.

“Is the NARA reviewing the contents of the boxes of records to determine if they contain classified material?” If so, who is doing the review and has any classified data been found?

Ferriero wrote in the February 18 response letter that “NARA has identified items within the boxes that are classified national security information.”

He was referring specifically to the information in the 15 boxes containing documents Trump provided in January.

5. Social Media and ‘Electronic Messaging’

Maloney inquired if NARA had any additional records pertaining to the Trump administration.

The Archivist replied that NARA had identified certain social media records which were not captured or preserved by the Trump Administration.

“NARA also learned that some White House staff conducted official work using non-official email messaging accounts that were not copied and forwarded to their official electronic messaging account, as required under section 2209 of PRA [Presidential Records Act].” He said that NARA has obtained some of these records or is currently working to obtain them.

6. ‘Torn Up,’ and ‘Tape Them Back Together.

Ferriero stated that Trump representatives were asked by the agency to continue searching for additional presidential records that had not been transferred to National Archives.

Concerning the question of whether Trump destroyed records he stated that the agency had learned through press reports, Trump had destroyed certain records in 2018, while he was still president.

“In June 2018, NARA was informed by Politico that textual presidential records had been torn up and that staff at the White House were trying to tape them together.” Ferriero wrote.

He said:

NARA wrote to the White House deputy counsel asking for information about the problem and the solutions. The White House counsel’s office indicated they would address the matter.

NARA discovered that additional paper records, which had been torn by former President Trump, were part of the records that were transferred to us after the Trump administration ended. While some records that were torn up by Trump’s administration were taped and recovered by White House staff, many of the other records that were transferred were not reconstructed.

Maloney sent a follow-up letter to the Archivist, in which he stated that the committee would expand its investigation and requested more information.

Maloney wrote on February 24, “I am deeply worried that former President Trump may be violating the law through his deliberate efforts to remove and destroy documents that belong to the American People.” “This Committee will investigate the matter and determine if further action is necessary to prevent further destruction of presidential records. We will also recover any records that are still missing.

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