Judge orders White House staff to comply with presidential records law that DOJ calls unconstitutional
Judge John Bates said the law is likely constitutional and required most White House employees to preserve presidential and vice presidential records.
- U.S. District Judge John Bates ruled Wednesday that White House staff must preserve official records, opening his 54-page decision with George Orwell's quote 'Who controls the past controls the future' to reject the administration's constitutional challenge.
- Last month, the Trump administration challenged the 1978 Presidential Records Act through a Justice Department memo, prompting White House Counsel David Warrington to tell staff they no longer had to comply and triggering lawsuits from the American Historical Association and American Oversight.
- Bates invoked Shakespeare's 'What is past is prologue' and noted every president for nearly 50 years, including Trump in his first term, has complied with the Act without challenging its constitutionality, writing that Congress has power under the Constitution's Property Clause to regulate records.
- White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, and other officials must preserve records starting May 26, though President Trump and Vice President JD Vance remain exempt from the directive, which Chioma Chukwu called an 'important victory for presidential accountability.'
- An appeal is expected as the government faces a May 26 compliance deadline, with legal experts suggesting the ruling sets up major future confrontations between presidential autonomy and congressional oversight authority.
45 Articles
45 Articles
Judge Shreds Trump Demand To Destroy Official Records
During his first term, President Trump routinely tore up offical documents, forcing archivists to meticulously tape them together to comply with the Presidential Records Act. There were even reports that he clogged up toilets in the White House with shredded papers he hoped to disappear forever. This time around, he’s taking a different approach. Instead of quietly defying the law, he ordered his advisors to dummy up an opinion saying that, actu…
Judge rejects Trump admin’s argument, orders White House records be kept
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Wednesday to preserve all presidential records — including text messages exchanged among top White House officials — at least for now, rejecting the administration's argument that the Presidential Records Act does not apply. The order is set to temporarily take effect on Tuesday while the legal case moves forward. The White House has indicated it plans to keep fighting the case and believes it …
Judge: Trump Must Comply With WH Records Act
Politico reports: A federal judge has ordered aides to President Donald Trump to continue to observe the requirements of the Presidential Records Act, despite a Justice Department opinion that found the law unconstitutionally intrudes on presidential power. In a ruling Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John Bates concluded that the 1978 statute is likely constitutional and granted a preliminary injunction that essentially nullifies the opinion issu…
A federal judge formally ordered the White House to continue to comply with the requirements of the Presidential Records Act. The decision slows down an attempt by the government to evade this rule, even though the Justice Department itself (DOJ) had previously concluded that the law unconstitutionally invades the powers of the president. What happened to the Presidential Records Act and the White House? The conflict escalated when the Justice D…
What Is Presidential Records Act Ruling? Trump Administration Faces Urgent Court Clash as Judge Rejects DOJ Legal Opinion in Injunction
A federal judge has ruled that the Presidential Records Act is likely constitutional and issued a preliminary injunction requiring White House aides to continue complying with the law, despite a conflicting Justice Department legal opinion. The decision places the Trump administration in an urgent legal position, with the order set to take effect on 26 May and the possibility of an emergency appeal. What the Ruling Means The Presidential Records…
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