WASHINGTON—The Oversight Project announced Thursday it has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), requesting all communications between senior NARA officials and the Biden White House, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and former President Trump’s staff at Bedminster, Mar-a-Lago, or Trump Tower.
The Oversight Project also filed another FOIA request with the Department of Justice for documents showing who between the department and the White House communicated about the raid.
The requests come just days after Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago was raided by the FBI. To date, the Biden administration has refused to provide the American people with any satisfactory answers about the purpose of the raid or why it was necessary.
Given the intense public interest in any documents related to the raid of Trump’s residence, and the lack of transparency to date from the Biden administration, the Oversight Project is requesting these documents be processed on an expedited basis. This means NARA and DOJ have 10 days to affirm or deny the request or be subject to litigation.
House Oversight Committee ranking member James Comer this week also sent a letter to NARA demanding more information on the agency’s role, if any, in the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, and requesting an immediate briefing from NARA officials and preservation of all documents and communications relevant to the raid.
Just after news of the unprecedented federal raid on the home of a former president, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts released a statement, in which he said the following:
“The raid on Mar-a-Lago represents yet another example of the federal government weaponizing law enforcement to punish political enemies, silence critics, and send a message to those whom it views as enemies. The Biden administration and the D.C. swamp are making it very clear that they will use all the power of the state to intimidate anyone who stands in their way.
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“If they think they can treat a former president this way, imagine what they think they can do to the average American. Such actions could only be justified based on overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing. The FBI needs to immediately explain its reckless actions and Biden needs to answer the question of whether he ordered this raid.”
Oversight Project director Mike Howell, who formerly served as DHS oversight counsel, released a statement on the filing of the FOIA request:
“The Biden Department of Justice has crossed the Rubicon. This raid showed that the administration is unafraid to weaponize the power of the deep state against its political enemies—even a former sitting president.
“We are filing this request because the American people deserve the answers Joe Biden and Merrick Garland will not give them. There is no reason NARA cannot fulfill our request for these documents, as they should have nothing to do with any ongoing investigation. Ultimately, it looks like the Biden administration raided President Trump’s home over a document dispute—let’s see if they comply with our legal document demand, or if they’re complete hypocrites.
“Rest assured, we will fight to get the truth about this unprecedented act.”
Read the NARA FOIA request here.
Read the DOJ FOIA request here.
