Former President Donald Trump has been losing the battle in withholding sensitive material from investigators, and two individuals who ran the National Archives told The Daily Beast that “There are things in those records that are going to make real trouble.” Trump sued to keep his White House records secret, bizarrely claiming executive privilege, but that was shot down in court.
Former national archivists Don W. Wilson and John W. Carlin are reportedly dismayed over Trump’s attempt to shield his records.
“Given how frantic they are… there are things in those records that are going to make real trouble. I’m talking about prison time,” Carlin told the outlet. “It reinforces the fact that they know they’re in real trouble if these things are released—particularly if they’re released soon.”
“Those records could show whether the Trump White House plotted to use the Department of Justice to intimidate states to reject 2020 election results, schemed with rogue Republicans in Congress to halt certification of Electoral College votes that reflected Biden’s win at the polls, and interacted with rally organizers who brought the crowds that violently attacked the U.S. Capitol building,” The Daily Beast reports.
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“It’s important that records are used to get the truth out. Nothing highlights that more than the controversy we’re going through. Records are going to have a huge impact in determining who did what, particularly as you get to the Justice Department,” Carlin said.
“Nixon knew that tapes were going to kill him, and so he obviously fought and said they weren’t records. They were because they were created in the Oval Office,” Carlin continued.
Wilson weighed in to say that keeping official documents on personal devices is a clear violation of the Presidential Records Act.
“You aren’t supposed to conduct personal business on your cellphone,” Wilson said. “If it is, then it’s an official record. Is this official business? If it is, then it’s technically a presidential record, even if it’s on your personal cellphone. All of it is supposed to be turned over at the end of the administration.”
“I’m really kind of glad to see the special committee and the archives’ role in the middle of this. It does bring attention to presidential records and how important they are—not just for current events but for the future of the country,” Wilson added. “Archives aren’t just a repository. It’s preserving our national history.”
You can read the full report here.
Featured image via Michael Vadon/Flickr, under Creative Commons license 2.0
