Trump arguments lacking in quest to hide January 6 records

A three judge panel of the D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals seemed to side with a lower court decision to block former President Donald Trump’s lawsuit to keep the National Archives from releasing his presidential records to the House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. In their questions to Trump’s lawyers, they indicated that history and precedent granted a standing president with the authority to decide when to disclose presidential records. (The Washington Post, December 1, 2021, by Spencer S. Hsu and Ann E. Marimow)

With the passage of the Presidential Records Act of 1978, presidential records are owned by the public and sent to the National Archives as soon as a president left office. Before 1978, the records were considered a president’s private property. (Voice of America, November 20, 2021, by Dora Mekouar)

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