Updated: Sep 04, 2022, 04:05 PM(IST)
The National Archives and Records Administration has not, until now, been the subject of a criminal investigation of the former president. Yet this is where the agency finds itself after it sent a letter to the FBI stating that 15 boxes found at former President Donald Trump’s Florida home in January contained dozens of documents containing symptoms.
Here’s a look at the National Archives, its history and how it ended up in the middle of political turmoil:
A massive collection
The mission of the National Archives, established by Congress in 1934, sounds straightforward: to be the custodian of the nation’s records. To see also : Joe Biden Sells the United States to Iran | Opinion. It is a difficult task that has become more complex over time.
Although the Archives protect important national documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, it is the only public view of their extensive collection, which contains 13 billion pages of text and maps. , 10 million charts and images. Tens of millions of photos, movies and other records.
In addition to its work in Washington, the Treasury Department maintains 13 presidential libraries and 14 regional archives across the country.
Archivist for a nation
The Archivist of the United States is responsible for managing the institution. To see also : Smithsonian Archives of American Art Announce “Between Artists: In Conversation with History”. The last confirmed Senate leader was David Ferriero, who stepped down in April after serving 12 years under three presidents.
Ferriero recalled in an April interview with The Washington Post how he watched from the windows of the Archives building on January 6, 2021, as a crowd of Trump supporters passed by on their way to storm the Capitol. He called it the worst day of his life.
More than a year later he decided to retire, in part, due to fears about the political climate of the nation.
“It’s important to me, that this system is replaced,” he told the Post. “I’m worried about what’s going to happen in 2024. I don’t want it to be left to the … unknowns of the presidential election.”
His deputy, Debra Steidel Wall, is working as an archivist while President Joe Biden’s nominee, Colleen Joy Shogan, awaits Senate confirmation this fall. An archivist works until he decides to retire.
‘No such things as mementos’
The Archives serve as the final resting place for every White House employee. Read also : Designation of Former Paraguayan President Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara for Involvement in Significant Corruption – United States Department of State.
After the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation, Congress passed a law in 1978 to ensure that all presidential records, written, electronic devices made by the president, vice president, or any member or executive branch filter in legal capacity, are stored and transferred to the Archives at the end of the process. The law states that the president’s records are not his, but the property of the federal government and must be treated as such.
When the new system begins, White House staff receive a handbook on the law and step-by-step instructions for keeping records. Salvation requests cover a wide range of items, including gifts and letters from foreign leaders. “There are no such things as mementos,” said Lee White, executive director of the National Coalition for History.
Additionally, the law requires that while in office, the president or any member of the administration must first seek advice from a reporter before destroying any record, a practice that Trump and his aides reportedly ignored it throughout his four years in office.
“Everything he writes down is a record of the president. It’s not his property,” White said. “It’s very important to the whole idea of why the Presidential Records Act was created.”
“At noon on Inauguration Day, the copyright is handed over to the keeper of records. Time. There is no maybe. It is the law,” he added.
An unprecedented decision
The provisions of the Presidential Records Act are at the center of the FBI’s investigation into Trump.
After Trump left office, the Archives discovered that records from his White House were missing. What followed was a year-long tussle between the Archives’ legal counsel and Trump’s lawyers that resulted in the voluntary return of 15 boxes of presidential records. When the agency opened the boxes, it found that 14 of them contained documents and information.
Recognizing a possible violation of the law, the agency made an unprecedented decision to refer the matter to the Department of Justice. That move culminated in a search for Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in August. FBI agents found more than 100 classified records, including some that were hidden in the former president’s office among his belongings.
Since the Aug. 8 search, the Archives and its staff have been bombarded with threats and accusations. The archivist in an email to the staff of the center noted that their work is impartial and encouraged them to stick to their work.
“The National Archives has been the target of intense scrutiny for months, this week in particular, with many people alleging political influence on our actions,” Wall wrote in an Aug. 24. “NARA has received messages from the public accusing us of corruption and plotting against the former President, or praising NARA for “taking him down.”
He added: “It is not right or acceptable.
Wall has worked for more than three decades at the Archives, starting as an archivist and advancing to the second line. He said in his letter that despite the political storm surrounding the institution, the workers must continue their work “without favor or fear, in the process of our democracy.”
An archivist confirmation battle?
Five days before the Mar-a-Lago search, Biden announced that he was selecting Shogan, an executive at the White House Historical Association who previously spent a decade at the Library of Congress, as his next press secretary.
Candidates for the post are usually confirmed without controversy or announcement. But it’s not easy this time.
Shogan faces an impeached confirmation hearing as Republicans seek answers about the Justice Department’s investigation and the Archives’ role in conducting it. This fall’s certification proposal has not yet been finalized but could end up being unusually controversial.
Republicans in the House and Senate pressed for more information about how the Archives decided to turn the Trump case over to federal investigators.
Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, sent a letter Thursday demanding that the Archives release documents and communications related to the case.
“Transparency is especially important in the post-pandemic era when Americans lack confidence in our institutions,” Comer wrote.
So far, the National Archives has denied requests from Democrats and Republicans to the committees that oversee the agency, instead referring them to the Justice Department where the investigation is ongoing.
How many Presidents have a presidential library?
The Presidential Library System is made up of 15 Presidential Libraries documenting Presidents Herbert Hoover through Donald J. Trump. Listed in the order in which they were added to the system, the Presidential libraries and their dedication dates include: Franklin D.
Does Barack Obama have a presidential library? The center will include a museum and library and is led by the non-profit Obama Foundation. The agency’s work includes digitizing the Barack Obama Presidential Library with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), creating the first fully digitized presidential library.
Is there a presidential library for every president?
For every president since Herbert Hoover, presidential libraries have been established at each president’s home where documents, artifacts, government gifts and museum exhibits related to the life of the president are kept. former president and political and professional career.
Why do Presidents have Presidential Libraries?
Presidential Libraries and Museums promote understanding of the presidency and the American experience. We preserve and provide access to historical materials, support research, and create interactive programs and exhibits that educate and inspire.
Does every president have a presidential library?
For every president since Herbert Hoover, presidential libraries have been established at each president’s home where documents, artifacts, government gifts and museum exhibits related to the life of the president are kept. former president and political and professional career.
How many US presidents have a library? The Presidential Library system is made up of fifteen Presidential Libraries. These materials are overseen by the Office of the President’s Libraries, at the National Archives and Records Administration.
Which presidents have a presidential library?
Listed in the order in which they were added to the system, the Presidential libraries and their dedication dates include:
- Franklin D…
- Harry S…
- Dwight D…
- Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, August 10, 1962.
- Lyndon B…
- John F…
- Gerald R….
- Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, October 1, 1986.
Who has the biggest presidential library?
| Ronald Reagan Presidential Library | |
|---|---|
| It is named after | Ronald Reagan |
| Construction begins | November 21, 1988 |
| Completed | November 4, 1991 |
What is the definition of a record under the Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments?
(2) The term “Records of the President” means documentary material, or any other reasonable material. its separate part, made or accepted by the President, his immediate President. staff, or department or individual in the Executive Office of the President whose duty it is to advise.
What makes up a federal record? Records include all books, papers, maps, photographs, machine-readable materials, or other documentary materials, regardless of physical form or format, created or received by an agency of the United States Government under the law of Federal or public transfer. business and storage or…
What is required by the Federal Records Act?
The Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. 31) and the corresponding Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs) require all federal agencies to maintain records documenting their activities, file records for safekeeping and easy access, and Disposing of reports according to the organization’s schedule.
What is the definition of a federal record?
Federal records are all recorded information, regardless of nature or characteristics, created or received by a Federal agency under Federal law or in connection with a public business transaction.
What does the Presidential Records Act do?
The law overturned a policy in effect during the Nixon administration that presidential records were considered private property, making it clear that presidential records are public.
