The Associated Press has revealed concerns about a "gap" in U.S. government records due to President Donald Trump's handling of official documents that require archiving.
In a report published today, Sunday, the agency noted that Trump, whose term ends on January 20, does not pay much attention to the law that requires the president to maintain all official documents during his presidency and is accustomed to tearing up documents after reviewing them, forcing White House archival staff to spend hours reassembling what has been shredded. Former White House archivist Salmon Larti confirmed to the agency that officials have asked Trump to stop this behavior, but he has declined, indicating that the first document Trump tore up was a letter from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer regarding the government shutdown.
The report mentioned that President Trump confiscated minutes of negotiations he held with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in addition to reprimanding his attorney for taking notes during a meeting with special investigator Robert Mueller, who was leading the investigation into Trump's alleged campaign collusion with Russia.
The report highlighted that senior executives had to remind the president repeatedly that official duties cannot be conducted through personal email accounts and written communication methods, and such communications must be documented if they occur.
It noted that Trump's insistence over weeks to refuse to acknowledge President-elect Joe Biden's victory delayed the archiving process of documents related to his presidency at the National Archives and Records Administration, increasing concerns over whether that huge bundle of documents is sufficient.
The agency clarified that the Presidential Records Act stipulates that the president cannot destroy documents without consulting National Archives staff and informing Congress; however, this does not mean the president must comply with the archivists' advice, which means Trump does not face any tangible legal consequences for his behavior despite lawmakers' demands and lawsuits filed by transparency advocacy groups.
