A letter by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) reveals former President Donald Trump had retained 700 pages (100 documents) of classified information after his departure from the White House.
The letter, written by acting U.S. Archivist Debra Steidel and sent to Trump’s lawyer M. Evan Corcoran, states that the 700 pages were found in 15 boxes the National Archives collected from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in January of this year.
Steidel states in the letter: “According to NARA, among the materials in the boxes are over 100 documents with classification markings, comprising more than 700 pages.”
She continued, noting, “Some include the highest levels of classification, including Special Access Program (SAP) materials.”
The letter dated May 10, 2022, is a response to Corcoran’s request that NARA delay disclosing the documents it removed from Trump’s residence to the FBI.
Steidel acknowledges receipt of these requests but explains that she would not delay “the FBI and others in the Intelligence Community” review of the documents, citing that NARA had been in contact with Trump and his team for most of 2021 after becoming aware “about what appeared to be missing Presidential records.”
The letter, first published by Just the News, was later released on the NARAs website and comes as speculation heightens that the former President may have violated the Espionage Act and obstructed justice.
The former President hasn’t responded to claims he may have violated the Espionage Act but has insisted he declassified the documents in his possession, explaining his belief that the FBI raid on his property was politically motivated.
