public records

"He Never Stopped Ripping Things Up": Trump's Habitual Document Destruction

Donald Trump's personal defiance of the Presidential Records Act appears to have been widespread, purposeful, and illegal. 

National Archive Had to Retrieve White House Records from Mar-a-Lago

In an odd twist that no one could have seen coming, the Trump administration appears to have violated legal requirements for the preservation and security of presidential records. 

Trump, Defying Custom, Hasn’t Given the National Archives Records of His Speeches at Political Rallies

by Shannon Bow O'Brien

"Until President Trump, there have been no missing public speeches in the permanent collection. By removing these speeches, Trump is creating a false perception of his presidency, making it look more serious and traditional."

Democracy, History and the Presidential Records Act

by James Grossman and Richard Immerman

It's time to update the Presidential Records Act to clarify the kinds of materials that must be preserved and create real penalties for destroying them. 

AHA Joins Lawsuit to Protect Historical Records

The AHA is party to a lawsuit pressing the Trump administration and the National Archives to comply with laws requiring complete preservation of presidential records. 

Will Trump Burn the Evidence?

by Jill Lepore

Reckoning with the Trump adminstration's actions and assigning moral or criminal sanction to any misdeeds will probably be compromised by the destruction or failure to maintain presidential records. 

The Importance of Preserving Pandemic Records

The National Archives has joined other organizations in a call to ensure that records related to the pandemic and governments' responses are preserved and made accessible to future researchers.

Historian David Perry: After Trump, We'll Need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission

A Truth and Reconciliation commission would be a necessary first step in documenting the Trump regime's crimes and assaults on truth, reality and America's collective memory. 

Lawsuit: Ice Must Not Destroy Detainee Records

NARA approved ICE’s request to begin destroying the records in December 2019, despite ongoing concerns and reports of widespread mistreatment of individuals detained in ICE custody.

Obama Makes It Harder to See the Arc of History Bend

by John Gans

My old boss’ post-presidential center is a missed opportunity.

A high school government class wanted to help solve civil rights crimes. So they drafted a bill that is now law

It began as an effort to make government more transparent.