WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - After taking control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterm elections, Democrat lawmakers have started issuing document preservation letters ahead of expected investigations in the Democrat-controlled next session of Congress.
A preservation letter calls on the recipients to save any documents related to the investigation, and as per federal law, failing to conform to it +risks criminal penalties.
Democrats have won 240 seats in the 435-member House of Representatives, and Republicans have won 147. With results pending for the remaining 48 seats, Democrats are projected to secure at least a 50-seat majority in the House.
In the Senate, Democrats have won 52 seats and Republicans 44. Votes are still being counted in two seats. While the Mississippi race is tight, Alaska is tilting towards the Democrat, reports say.
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, sent a letter to the leaders of 10 departments and federal agencies overseen by the House committee, including the education, agriculture, health and labor departments, along with the National Labor Relations Board.
In the letter, Scott reminds Department secretaries of 'requirements related to records management and preservation under the Federal Records Act of 1950 (FRA)'. 'The preservation of records in accordance with the FRA is critical to ensuring that Congress can fulfill its essential oversight responsibilities,' he adds.
The FRA requires all departments and agencies in the Executive Branch to collect, retain, and preserve records that document 'the transaction of public business' or contain 'informational value.' The FRA's regulations require the head of each federal agency to 'make and preserve records containing adequate and proper documentation of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, and essential transactions of the agency'.
Scott, who is seen as a potential candidate to head the House committee in January, reminds in the letter that Federal officials and employees who violate the FRA are subject to criminal penalties, and those who are convicted of violating the FRA can lose their position.
He noted that 'the American people have given Congress a clear mandate to root out waste, fraud, and abuse within the Administration'.
In a letter sent to Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Wednesday, he requested request an assurance, in writing, by November 18, that 'records, documents, data, or information have not been and will not be concealed, modified, removed, transferred, destroyed, or otherwise rendered inaccessible'.
Since Donald Trump came to power for a second term, his administration dramatically overhauled the federal government and reduced its workforce. The Trump administration halved the strength of the Department of Education, declaring that education oversight should be managed by the states.
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