Aug 10, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Another GOP panel primes Mar-a-Lago probe

Rep. James Comer, wearing a blue suit and red tie, sits behind the dais and a placard with his name and title at a House Oversight Committee hearing.

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.

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 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.
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