House panel expands probe into Trump’s handling of White House documents

The House Oversight and Reform Committee is expanding its probe into former President Trump’s handling of White House documents.

Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) sent a letter on Friday to the national archivist following the National Archives’ statement that Trump had classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, The New York Times reported. It has also been reported that Trump may have ripped up some classified documents.

Maloney stated that the committee wanted to know more about the contents of the classified documents Trump took to Mar-a-Lago.

She wants information such as the documents’ level of classification and which documents Trump was able to destroy. 

The committee wants Trump’s communications pertaining to record-keeping and the Presidential Records Act along with results of federal investigations into the documents, according to the Times. 

“The American people deserve to know the extent of what former President Trump did to hide and destroy federal records and make sure these abuses do not happen again,” Maloney said.

Documents “relating to White House employees or contractors finding paper in a toilet in the White House, including the White House residence,” are also being sought by the panel.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing in his handling of classified documents. 

“The papers were given easily and without conflict and on a very friendly basis, which is different from the accounts being drawn up by the Fake News Media. In fact, it was viewed as routine and ‘no big deal,’” he said following the discovery of documents in Mar-a-Lago.

“Also, another fake story, that I flushed papers and documents down a White House toilet, is categorically untrue and simply made up by a reporter in order to get publicity for a mostly fictitious book,” he added.

The Hill has reached out to Maloney for comment.