Latest news with #NARA
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump administration releases documents in MLK assassination
The Trump administration on Monday released hundreds of thousands of documents related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., fulfilling a pledge from President Trump despite some reluctance from the civil rights icon's children. The release makes more than 230,000 pages of files digitally available. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the documents include details about the FBI's investigation into King's killing in 1968, internal memos about the case and details about the pursuit of James Earl Ray, who was convicted of killing the civil rights leader. Some of the records had been publicized previously through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. But officials touted that the document dump was the first time they had been made available online with minimal redactions. 'Today's record release marks a historic step in the Trump Administration's ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also serving as the interim head of the National Archives (NARA), said in a statement. 'Preserving, protecting, and releasing the records of the U.S. government is at the core of NARA's mission,' Rubio added. 'Thanks to President Trump's leadership and a coordinated interagency process, NARA was able to review and release the records at an unprecedented speed.' Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, the two living children of Martin Luther King Jr., issued a lengthy statement on Monday in which they urged the public to view the newly released records 'within their full historical context,' pointing to what they called an 'invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated' by the FBI. 'While we support transparency and historical accountability, we object to any attacks on our father's legacy or attempts to weaponize it to spread falsehoods,' the King children said in a statement. 'We strongly condemn any attempts to misuse these documents in ways intended to undermine our father's legacy and the significant achievements of the movement. Those who promote the fruit of the FBI's surveillance will unknowingly align themselves with an ongoing campaign to degrade our father and the Civil Rights Movement.' Within days of taking office in January, Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the release of federal government documents related to the assassinations of King, former President John F. Kennedy and former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. King was shot and killed in Memphis in April 1968, and his assassination has remained the subject of conspiracy theories. 'While we continue to mourn his death, the declassification and release of these documents are a historic step towards the truth that the American people deserve,' King's niece, Alveda King, said in a statement shared by the Trump administration.
New York Post
15-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
White House investigating Biden use of autopen in sprawling probe of ‘incompetent and senile' former president
The White House is investigating former President Joe Biden's use of the autopen, with senior administration officials telling Fox News Digital that they already are reviewing tens of thousands of documents turned over by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Officials told Fox News Digital that the White House Counsel's Office is leading the investigation, but said they are coordinating with the Justice Department. The investigation is focused on communications and other records related to Biden's use of the autopen. A senior administration official told Fox News Digital that they are not yet ready to discuss any discoveries, but said NARA already has provided more than 27,000 records to the White House. 'Joe Biden was the worst, most incompetent, and senile president in our country's history,' press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital Tuesday. 'It has been widely reported that Joe Biden handed the power of the presidency to an autopen controlled by unelected leftist staffers, who were allowed to make terrible decisions that destroyed our country.' 6 US President Joe Biden signs into law the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 9, 2022. AFP via Getty Images 'The Trump White House is committed to finding the answers to the many outstanding questions the American people still have about how business in the Biden White House was conducted,' she said. The official told Fox News Digital that they expect to review upward of one million documents. As for access to records held by NARA, the official said each sitting president has access to documents held by the archives from the prior administration. Senior administration officials told Fox News Digital that the scope of the review covers relevant documents related to Biden's presidency and use of the autopen over several years, in an effort to bring transparency to the American people regarding the former president's health. 6 US President Joe Biden (L) and President-elect Donald Trump arrive for the inauguration ceremony where Donald Trump will sworn in as the 47th US President in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. POOL/AFP via Getty Images Officials also said they are specifically reviewing whether there was any policy in place to safeguard the use of the autopen. 'What did the former president direct, versus what he did not,' one official explained. 'The only time a legitimate use of the autopen should happen is if the president said he wanted something done, or if he was asked for his approval.' 'This has been a priority for the administration since the beginning,' another official said. 'The president's signature is one of the most important signatures in the world.' 'Was the autopen inappropriately used?' an official asked. 'The White House and DOJ are reviewing documents through NARA and expect to do a deep dive on hundreds of thousands more documents.' 6 Damilic Corp. president Bob Olding anchors a sheet of paper as the Atlantic Plus, the Signascript tabletop model autopen, produces a signature at their Rockville, Md., office, June 13, 2011. AP Biden used the autopen to sign a slew of documents while in office. He also used the autopen to sign final pardons, including preemptive pardons for members of his family, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and members and staff of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. He only signed one pardon by hand, for his son Hunter, after vowing to the American people for months he would not do so. In his final weeks in office, Biden granted clemency and pardoned more than 1,500 individuals, in what the White House described at the time as the largest single-day act of clemency by a U.S. president. An autopen is a machine that physically holds a pen and features programming to imitate a person's signature. Unlike a stamp or a digitized print of a signature, the autopen has the capability to hold various types of pens, from a ballpoint to a permanent marker, according to descriptions of autopen machines available for purchase. 6 U.S. President Joe Biden signs proclamations creating the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in the East Room at the White House an on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images 'The question is, did Biden surrender his Article II executive authorities to unelected staffers that the American people don't know, and to a machine that holds the same legal authority as his right hand, because he wasn't capable of doing the job?' one official said. 'Did unelected staffers, radical staffers, use the power of this machine to radically transform America?' Biden, in a recent interview with the New York Times, defended his use of the autopen, saying that he 'made every decision' on his own. 'We're talking about (granting clemency to) a whole lot of people,' Biden said. However, the Times reported that Biden 'did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people,' according to the former president and his aides. 6 In this photo taken June 13, 2011, Bob Olding, president of Damilic Corp, demonstrates the features of the older model Autopen Model 80 in Rockville, Md. ASSOCIATED PRESS Congressional committees, like the House Oversight Committee, also are investigating the use of the autopen and Biden's health while in office. A senior administration official recognized their simultaneous effort, but stressed that the White House Counsel's investigation is completely separate from the congressional probe. Officials told Fox News Digital that the investigation is a 'massive effort,' and one that they hope to finish 'as soon as possible.' 'Lawyers are working diligently to get answers,' one official said. 'It is important for the American people to know to what extent the media played a cover-up on Biden's well-being, and which signatures were at his direction and which were at the direction of his staff.' 6 US President Joe Biden looks on as US President-elect Donald Trump arrives during the inauguration ceremony before Trump is sworn in as the 47th US President in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. via REUTERS The official added: 'They elected a president – not a staff.' As for Trump, officials told Fox News Digital that he does not use the autopen for anything that could be considered official business. The only time Trump may use the autopen is for unofficial business, including correspondence, letters for birthdays, or commissioned records for widely shared documents. 'Nothing that would be considered official business,' a White House official told Fox News Digital. 'Every executive order signing has been public and the president has signed these documents live and in person.' Trump, in June, sent a memo to the Department of Justice directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the autopen use, and to determine whether it was related to a decline in Biden's mental state.
Fox News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
White House investigating Biden use of autopen in sprawling probe of ‘incompetent and senile' former president
EXCLUSIVE: The White House is investigating former President Joe Biden's use of the autopen, with senior administration officials telling Fox News Digital that they already are reviewing tens of thousands of documents turned over by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Officials told Fox News Digital that the White House Counsel's Office is leading the investigation, but said that they are coordinating with the Justice Department. The investigation is focused on communications and other records related to Biden's use of the autopen. A senior administration official told Fox News Digital that they are not yet ready to discuss any discoveries, but said that NARA already has provided more than 27,000 records to the White House. "Joe Biden was the worst, most incompetent, and senile president in our country's history," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital Tuesday. "It has been widely reported that Joe Biden handed the power of the presidency to an autopen controlled by unelected leftist staffers, who were allowed to make terrible decisions that destroyed our country." "The Trump White House is committed to finding the answers to the many outstanding questions the American people still have about how business in the Biden White House was conducted," she said. The official told Fox News Digital that they expect to review upward of one million documents. As for access to records held by NARA, the official said that each sitting president has access to documents held by the archives from the prior administration. Senior administration officials told Fox News Digital that the scope of the review covers relevant documents related to Biden's presidency and use of the autopen over several years, in an effort to bring transparency to the American people regarding the former president's health. Officials also said they are specifically reviewing whether there was any policy in place to safeguard the use of the autopen. "What did the former president direct, versus what he did not," one official explained. "The only time a legitimate use of the autopen should happen is if the president said he wanted something done, or if he was asked for his approval." "This has been a priority for the administration since the beginning," another official said. "The president's signature is one of the most important signatures in the world." "Was the autopen inappropriately used?" an official asked. "The White House and DOJ are reviewing documents through NARA and expect to do a deep dive on hundreds of thousands more documents." Biden used the autopen to sign a slew of documents while in office. Biden also used the autopen to sign final pardons, including preemptive pardons for members of his family, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley and members and staff of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. He only signed one pardon by hand, for his son Hunter, after vowing to the American people for months he would not do so. In his final weeks in office, Biden granted clemency and pardoned more than 1,500 individuals, in what the White House described at the time as the largest single-day act of clemency by a U.S. president. An autopen is a machine that physically holds a pen and features programming to imitate a person's signature. Unlike a stamp or a digitized print of a signature, the autopen has the capability to hold various types of pens like a ballpoint to a permanent marker, according to descriptions of autopen machines available for purchase. "The question is, did Biden surrender his Article II executive authorities to unelected staffers that the American people don't know, and to a machine that holds the same legal authority as his right hand, because he wasn't capable of doing the job?" one official said. "Did unelected staffers, radical staffers, use the power of this machine to radically transform America?" Biden, in a recent interview with the New York Times, defended his use of the autopen, saying that he "made every decision" on his own. "We're talking about (granting clemency to) a whole lot of people," Biden said. However, the Times reported that Biden "did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people," according to the former president and his aides. Congressional committees, like the House Oversight Committee, also are investigating the use of the autopen and Biden's health while in office. A senior administration official recognized their simultaneous effort, but stressed that the White House Counsel's investigation is completely separate from the congressional probe. Officials told Fox News Digital that the investigation is a "massive effort," and one that they hope to finish "as soon as possible." "Lawyers are working diligently to get answers," one official said. "It is important for the American people to know to what extent the media played a cover-up on Biden's well-being, and which signatures were at his direction and which were at the direction of his staff." The official added: "They elected a president — not a staff." As for Trump, officials told Fox News Digital that he does not use the autopen for anything that could be considered official business. The only time Trump may use the autopen is for unofficial business, including correspondence, letters for birthdays, or commissioned records for widely shared documents. "Nothing that would be considered official business," a White House official told Fox News Digital. "Every executive order signing has been public and the president has signed these documents live and in person." Trump, in June, sent a memo to the Department of Justice directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the autopen use, and to determine whether it was related to a decline in Biden's mental state.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DOJ dismisses Biden-era records lawsuit against Peter Navarro
The Justice Department on Tuesday agreed to dismiss a lawsuit seeking records from White House senior trade adviser Peter Navarro's time in the first Trump administration, brought during President Biden's presidency. In a short notice, government lawyers stipulated to the dismissal of the 2022 lawsuit seeking emails Navarro sent from a personal encrypted account but refused to produce to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). They agreed to dismiss the action with prejudice, meaning the claim can't be brought again. The court filing gave no explanation for the decision. The Presidential Records Act requires any records generated or received while working in an official capacity — including those sent or received on unofficial accounts — be turned over at the end of an administration. A federal judge ruled against Navarro and ordered him to turn over the records. Then, a three-judge panel on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals found 'no public interest' in his retention of the records. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who oversaw the case, threatened in February 2024 to hold Navarro in contempt of court for defying her order to turn over the documents. He appealed to the Supreme Court, but the justices in December ultimately declined to weigh his bid to reverse the order. In Navarro's petition to the justices, he argued he initially planned to comply with NARA's request but later sought immunity to produce the documents after he was criminally charged for evading a congressional subpoena. Navarro was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress in 2023 for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. He was sentenced to four months in prison, which he completed in July. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
DOJ dismisses Biden-era records lawsuit against Peter Navarro
The Justice Department on Tuesday agreed to dismiss a lawsuit seeking records from White House senior trade adviser Peter Navarro's time in the first Trump administration, brought during President Biden's presidency. In a short notice, government lawyers stipulated to the dismissal of the 2022 lawsuit seeking emails Navarro sent from a personal encrypted account but refused to produce to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). They agreed to dismiss the action with prejudice, meaning the claim can't be brought again. The court filing gave no explanation for the decision. The Presidential Records Act requires any records generated or received while working in an official capacity — including those sent or received on unofficial accounts — be turned over at the end of an administration. A federal judge ruled against Navarro and ordered him to turn over the records. Then, a three-judge panel on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals found 'no public interest' in his retention of the records. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who oversaw the case, threatened in February 2024 to hold Navarro in contempt of court for defying her order to turn over the documents. He appealed to the Supreme Court, but the justices in December ultimately declined to weigh his bid to reverse the order. In Navarro's petition to the justices, he argued he initially planned to comply with NARA's request but later sought immunity to produce the documents after he was criminally charged for evading a congressional subpoena. Navarro was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress in 2023 for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. He was sentenced to four months in prison, which he completed in July.
