House Speaker Johnson orders outgoing Biden administration to preserve all records and documents

11/20/2024 / By Kevin Hughes

The outgoing administration of President Joe Biden has been ordered to preserve all of its records, communications and any other documents in its remaining days.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) gave the order on Nov. 12 as the House of Representatives prepares for the new Congress and the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump to take over. (Related: The top twelve priorities for Trump’s America in 2025 – achieve these things and we may save the Republic.)

The order was sent to all 18 federal departments. This is expected to spark controversy, especially if officials are caught trying to delete or destroy documents that could provide insight into some of the policies the Biden administration pursued or any potential scandals from the past four years.

Anyone caught destroying any records could face severe federal criminal penalties, and any attempts to do so are likely to be discovered by the incoming Trump administration.

This shows that the Republicans are better prepared during this transition than they were when Trump won his first term back in 2016. It also indicates the Republican Party means business when it comes to removing corruption across the federal government.

Johnson: Congress intends to pursue all relevant documents from Biden administration

One of the letters Johnson sent was to Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, who took over following former Secretary Marty Walsh’s resignation in March 2023. According to the letter, Johnson said that the incoming Congress intends to pursue all relevant documents from the Biden administration as the White House changes hands.

“As we begin preparation for a new Trump Administration and new Congress, we fully expect your cooperation in a smooth transition of power,” Johnson wrote in the letter to Su. “To that end, it is imperative that during the transition you comply with all statutory record retention requirements, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act. In addition to compliance with federal record retention laws, we are also expressly directing that all necessary steps be taken to preserve relevant Department documents and communications.”

The letter was signed by Johnson as well as by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) and all the chairpersons of the House of Representatives’ committees. The 18 versions of the letter sent to federal departments were coursed through Johnson’s office.

Johnson emphasized the need to preserve all documents related to the border crisis, the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, potential instances of government censorship, the weaponization of the federal government against conservatives and allegations of antisemitism against government officials.

“In the waning days of this Congress, House Committees will continue to seek compliance with many of the subpoenas with which you largely declined to cooperate. Likewise, as the 119th Congress begins, the Committees may determine that it is necessary to reissue certain subpoenas as they continue with their oversight efforts,” Johnson wrote.

Follow JoeBiden.news for more news about the outgoing Biden administration.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said President Joe Biden has the authority to stop the border crisis. Watch this video.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.