Boxes with classified information found at Mar-a-Lago

The National Archives and Records Administration confirmed in a Friday letter that 15 boxes of White House records were found at former President Donald Trump’s Florida home in January. Last week the House Oversight and Reform Committee launched an investigation into how the Trump administration handled presidential records. In response, archivists said in a letter that they sent the matter to the Justice Department because the boxes’ contents included classified national security information.

What else did the National Archives say? The agency released four letters on Friday outlining concerns about whether Trump’s staff correctly preserved records. The Presidential Records Act requires that administrations send materials like documents, photos, correspondence, and pamphlets to the National Archives as soon as the president leaves office. Violation of the act is punishable by up to three years in prison and a $2,000 fine. Federal law prohibits sending classified documents to unauthorized locations.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Stew about Trump’s lawsuit to extend executive privilege to presidential records requested by the congressional Jan. 6 committee.