The National Archives has asked former U.S. presidents and vice presidents to re-check their personal records for any classified documents following the news that President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence had such documents in their possession, two people familiar with the matter said Thursday.
The Archives sent a letter Thursday to representatives of former presidents and vice presidents extending back to Ronald Reagan to ensure compliance with the Presidential Records Act. The act states that any records created or received by the president are the property of the U.S. government and will be managed by the archives at the end of the administration, according to the two people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about investigations.
The Law Behind Presidential Records Belonging To The National Archives
Congress passed the Presidential Records Act after Watergate, preserving documents that otherwise would have been Pres. Nixon's personal property.
The Archives sent the letter to representatives of former Presidents Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, and former Vice Presidents Pence, President Biden, Dick Cheney, Al Gore and Dan Quayle.
The letter was first reported by CNN.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
