National Archives receives threats and praise for its role in Trump documents case, but doesn’t want either, letter says

By Zachary Cohen, CNN

The National Archives and Records Administration says it has received both threats and praise from members of the public for its role in the ongoing dispute over Donald Trump’s handling of sensitive government records after he left office, including messages accusing employees of corruption and conspiring against the former President, or congratulating them for “bringing him down,” according to a letter sent to all NARA employees by the acting Archivist last week.

The notice from acting Archivist Debra Wall underscores the polarizing response to the ongoing dispute over Trump’s handling of government records, including documents with classified markings, that ultimately prompted the FBI to search his Mar-a-Lago residence earlier this month. And it demonstrates how the Archives — an agency that seldom gets much national attentional — is having to contend with its unique position in the center of a highly sensitive political and legal drama.

In the letter, Wall reiterated the facts of NARA’s role in a months-long effort to recover documents from Trump’s Florida resort — particularly as it has evolved into a criminal investigation by the Justice Department — defending the agency’s communication with Trump associates and the DOJ.

“The National Archives has been the focus of intense scrutiny for months, this week especially, with many people ascribing political motivation to our actions. NARA has received messages from the public accusing us of corruption and conspiring against the former President, or congratulating NARA for ‘bringing him down,'” she wrote.

“Neither is accurate or welcome,” Wall added. “For the past 30-plus years as a NARA career civil servant, I have been proud to work for a uniquely and fiercely non-political government agency, known for its integrity and its position as an ‘honest broker.’ This notion is in our establishing laws and in our very culture. I hold it dear, and I know you do, too.”

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CNN’s Katelyn Polantz, Tierney Sneed and Holmes Lybrand contributed to this report.