A federal judge said Wednesday that White House staff must preserve their official records, including communications that they send via non-official text message services, pushing back on attempts to free President Donald Trump from record-keeping obligations that were set by Congress.
The 54-page opinion from Judge John Bates of the DC District Court, puts on hold an attempt by the administration to roll back the Presidential Records Act, which was a major reform following the Watergate scandal and the state of then-President Richard Nixon’s records.
“Congress has the enumerated power to regulate presidential records,” Bates wrote.
Our editorial team includes several staff writers, each contributing their specialized knowledge to enhance the depth and breadth of our event and story coverage.