Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are preparing an investigation into the National Archives and Records Administration in response to the FBI’s search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.
Why it matters: The probe adds to an already sprawling array of investigations into the Biden administration planned by Republicans if they retake the House next year.
- It also follows a flurry of GOP demands for information about the Mar-a-Lago search — and efforts to discredit the FBI.
Driving the news: The 19 Republicans on the panel sent a letter to acting archivist of the United States Debra Wall, NARA's chief administrator, requesting the preservation of documents related to the search — a signal of potential subpoenas to come.
- "Committee Republicans demand answers about the FBI and NARA’s investigation of President Trump and any coordination between the two agencies," they wrote.
- Materials sought by the committee members include communications between the two agencies, NARA documents related to Trump, and documents outlining NARA's process for collecting documents after a president leaves office.
- The letter also requests a briefing to members by Aug. 17.
Flashback: Hours after news of the search broke on Monday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) vowed to have a Republican House majority "conduct immediate oversight of this department, follow the facts, and leave no stone unturned."
Context: The search warrant was executed as part of the Justice Department's investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents, Axios' Jonathan Swan reported.
- The National Archives have tried without success since last May to recover documents Trump brought to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House.
The big picture: The Oversight letter dovetails with a similar preservation request sent by House Intelligence Committee ranking member Mike Turner (R-Ohio) to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday.
- House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has called for Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland to testify to the panel when the House returns Friday.
- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, indicated in a statement Tuesday he had a phone call with Wray in which he expressed concerns about the search.