An investigation has been launched against former US
President Donald Trump for concealing 15 boxes of official documents in his
toilet. A US House panel is currently investigating the matter after the
documents were retrieved from his private Florida property. Lawmakers think it
is a potential violation of the law.

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House chairperson Carolyn Maloney said she was
“deeply concerned” the records were not promptly turned over to the
National Archives when Trump’s term ended in January 2021 “and that they
appear to have been removed from the White House in violation of the
Presidential Records Act.”

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Maloney also said that she is concerned about media
reports that Trump “repeatedly attempted to destroy presidential records,
which could constitute additional serious violations” of the law, which
requires the preservation of written communications related to the president’s
official duties.

Documents also clogged in White House toilet

Separately, a report on Thursday said that White House
staff periodically found documents clogging Trump’s toilet in the White House
during his tenure.

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“Staff in the White House would periodically find
the toilet clogged” and would then find “wads of clumped up, wet
printed paper … either notes or some other piece of paper that they believe
he had thrown down the toilet,” in his bathroom, New York Times reporter
Maggie Haberman told CNN, citing reporting in her forthcoming book and adding
it was unclear what types of documents were found.

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In a statement, Trump acknowledged the boxes of
records were transported to the Archives after “discussions” he
called “collaborative” and said he had been told he “was under
no obligation” to hand over any White House materials, though he did not
say who gave him that directive.

“The papers were given easily and without
conflict and on a very friendly basis,” he said.

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Trump termed Haberman report “categorically
untrue.”

On Wednesday, the Washington Post reported the
National Archives and Records Administration had asked the US Department of
Justice to probe the former Republican president’s handling of White House
records.

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The New York Times, citing a person briefed on the
matter, reported US archivists found possibly classified material from the
boxes recovered in January.

It was unclear whether the Justice Department would
open an investigation, and its representative did not respond to a request from
Reuters.