Trump improperly took away classified material, National Archives says

The disclosure is expected to escalate an investigation by the House oversight committee into whether Trump violated the Presidential Records Act of 1978 by removing and destroying White House documents.

Nara, he said, was in the process of obtaining those records.

The news of potential violations of the Presidential Records Act, which mandates the preservation of White House documents, came after a series of reports that Trump openly flouted the statute.

In late January, after protracted negotiations with Trump lawyers, the Archives secured the return of 15 boxes of documents Trump took from the White House to Mar-a-Lago, his post-presidency home in Florida.

The DoJ has declined to comment on whether it will open a criminal investigation. Experts have said prosecuting violations of the Presidential Records Act is tricky, since it lacks clear enforcement guidelines.

The Archives also said in its letter on Friday staff were in the process of inventorying the 15 boxes to determine if other materials from the Trump White House remain missing, work they expected to complete next Friday.