The National Archives has sent a letter to representatives of former US presidents and vice presidents, asking them to recheck their personal records for any classified documents. This move comes after President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence were found to have such documents in their possession. Former Presidents Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan, as well as former Vice Presidents Pence, Biden, Dick Cheney, Al Gore, and Dan Quayle, were sent the letter. It states that a person’s responsibility to comply with the Presidential Records Act “does not diminish after the end of an administration.”
As far back as Jimmy Carter, presidents, Cabinet members, and staff have struggled with handling classified documents in US politics for decades. Thousands of pages of records were seized by the FBI last year after former President Donald Trump purposefully retained classified material at his Florida estate.
Classified documents must not be kept at an unauthorized location — it’s against federal law, but only if it’s done intentionally. Regarding the matter, FBI Director Christopher Wray said that though he couldn’t disclose about specific ongoing investigations, “We have had for quite a number of years any number of mishandling investigations. That is unfortunately a regular part of our counterintelligence division’s and counterintelligence program’s work.”
Continuing, he said people should be aware of laws and rules regarding the management of confidential information, “Those rules,” he said, “are there for a reason.”
It’s clear that the National Archives is taking this matter very seriously, and they want to ensure that all former presidents and vice presidents comply with the Presidential Records Act. In accordance with the act, any records created or received by the president belong to the US government and are managed by the US Archives upon ending their presidential term. The Archives has requested that former presidents and vice presidents assess any materials held outside of the Archives that relate to their administration to determine whether or not they contain Presidential or Vice Presidential records, classified or unclassified.
It’s not just the National Archives that is taking this matter seriously. An investigation into Trump and Biden’s handling of the documents has been appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland. This clearly indicates that the US government is taking the handling of classified documents very seriously and is taking steps to ensure that all former presidents and vice presidents comply with the Presidential Records Act.
It’s worth noting that teams of national security officials, secretaries, and military aides share responsibility for keeping top-level executives informed. The executives themselves may bend the rules for convenience, practicality, or sometimes simple carelessness. However, it’s important to remember that the Presidential Records Act requires that all records must be transferred to the Archives from the Reagan administration onward, regardless of classification.
