The National security experts and former prosecutors have stated that the 15 boxes of records recovered from the former US President Donald Trump’s residence in Mar-a-Lago, by the National Archives and Records Administration officials could put a hold on his freedom.

Given this sole incident, Donald Trump’s plans for a 2024 presidential campaign, and comeback according to National Security experts may jeopardize his chances than any investigation into his attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

It could be recalled last week that the National Archives and Records Administration officials in a statement stated that “The records should have been transferred to NARA from the White House at the end of  Donald Trump’s Administration in January 2021”. Presently Donald Trump’s aides are still searching for more records which he held on to after leaving office.

What the law states about Donald Trump’s action

According to the 1978 Presidential Records Act, White House records are the property of the United States government, and not the president, which implies any record generated or handled by Donald Trump or his advisers had to be turned over to Nara when he left office on the 20th of January 2021.

However, the Presidential Records Act does not impose criminal penalties on a president or Presidential aide who violates it. Donald Trump’s reservation of documents put him in violation of a number of federal criminal statutes.

Anyone who has cleaned out a family attic knows the importance of keeping family records. You may have military records from relatives who served in one of the World Wars—or even the Civil War. Or pictures of your great-great-grandparents on the day they became American citizens. Or the canceled check that paid for your first home.

Donald Trump and the National Archives and Records Administration?

The National Archives and Records Administration(NARA)—the nation’s record keep1ng. Many people kno1w th1e Natio1nal Archives as the keeper of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. But we also hold in trust for the public the records of ordinary citizens—for example, military records of the brave men and women who have fought for our country, naturalization records of the immigrants whose dreams have shaped our nation, and even the canceled check from the purchase of Alaska.

In a democracy, records belong to the people, and for more than eight decades, NARA has preserved and provided access to the records of the United States of America. Records help us claim our rights and entitlements, hold our elected officials accountable for their actions, and document our history as a nation. In short, NARA ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their Government. This section is culled from the National Archives.