By Basant El-Faramawy
Democratic lawmakers have warned Trump administration officials to preserve federal records or face criminal penalties following the party's midterm election victories that gave them control of Congress.
Letter Cites Federal Records Act
In a letter sent Wednesday to the heads of 10 departments and agencies, Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee, cited the Federal Records Act of 1950 requiring officials to “collect, retain and preserve records that document the ‘transaction of public business’ or contain ‘informational value.’” Scott, who is expected to chair the committee next year, requested written assurance of compliance by Nov. 18 and warned that willful destruction of records carries fines and up to three years in prison.
Democrats Gain Oversight Power
Tuesday’s election gave Democrats comfortable majorities in both the House and Senate, granting them new subpoena and investigative authority over the Trump administration. Over the past two years, the administration has halved the Education Department’s workforce, scaled back worker protections at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and reduced federal vaccine requirements overseen by Health and Human Services.
Scott previously told Education Secretary Linda McMahon that the cuts effectively dismantled a key civil rights institution. Meanwhile, Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, vowed to launch investigations into Trump’s business dealings, immigration enforcement, and the handling of the Epstein files.
