House Oversight Committee Republicans called into question the accuracy of the National Archives statement on its involvement in the raid on former President Donald Trump’s home at Mar-A-Lago.
Oversight Committee Ranking Member James Comer (R-KY) and other Republicans wrote a letter to Debra Steidel Wall, the acting Archivist of the United States, regarding the National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) response to the Oversight Republicans that it was “unable to provide a briefing or any documents in response to your letter.”
The Oversight Republicans said that the “accuracy of this statement has been called into question in recent days.”
The Republicans challenged the National Archives’ narrative, stating:
On August 22, 2022, Just the News published a letter demonstrating robust negotiations between NARA and former President Trump’s attorney, Evan Corcoran. Also on August 22, 2022, the New York Times reported: “…the material in the boxes prompted archives officials to refer the matter to the Justice Department, which within months had convened a grand jury investigation.”
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 22: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) (L) and ranking member Rep. James Comer (R-KY) talk during a hearing on Capitol Hill on June 22, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Comer and the other Republicans noted that the federal agency ignored the first two requests committee Republicans made to NARA, which include:
- All documents and communications between any employee or agent of NARA and the FBI or Department of Justice, including the Offices of the United States Attorneys, regarding former President Trump;
- All documents and communications between or among employees or agents of NARA regarding any documents in the possession of former President Trump.
“It is puzzling that you and your staff would blatantly deny the existence of such responsive documents or communications to Congress. It is implausible that there would be no internal communications by NARA employees regarding the subject matter of the letter to Mr. Corcoran, as your letter to us would indicate,” committee Republicans wrote to the National Archives.
Comer asked that NARA provide documents detailing communications between the NARA general counsel, Gary Stern, and Trump’s attorneys, which was reported by the New York Times on August 24.
“The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the principal oversight Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X,” the committee Republicans concluded in their letter to the National Archives.
The Republicans wrote in their previous letter to NARA that the “seeming weaponization of the federal government against President Biden’s political rivals cannot go unchecked.”
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.