Press Statement on Public Release of NARA Records Concerning the 15 Boxes Received from Mar-a-Lago in January 2022
Media Alert · Monday, October 3, 2022

Washington, DC

Today, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is releasing documents processed in response to numerous Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for NARA records related to the 15 boxes that we received in January 2022 from former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Florida estate. 

News reports surrounding the boxes and presence of classified information resulted in dozens of requests for these records from the press, members of Congress and the public. Today’s release is for two categories of requested records dated through March 2022:  “Category 1,” communications between NARA officials and Presidential Records Act (PRA) representatives of former President Trump, and “Category 2,” communications from NARA to external entities other than Trump representatives (including the Department of Justice, the White House, Congress, and other third parties).  

We are releasing 11 pages in Category 1, and withholding 298 pages in full. We are releasing 54 pages in Category 2, and withholding 1,249 pages in full. Most of the requested documents are being withheld under FOIA exemptions that apply (1) to privileged communications with PRA representatives and with federal agencies (FOIA exemption (b)(5)); (2) to protect personal privacy (FOIA exemption (b)(6)); and (3) to information concerning active law enforcement proceedings and efforts (FOIA exemptions (b)(7)(A), (b)(7)(C) and (b)(7)(E)). 

NARA will continue to review additional responsive information in the coming months for possible release. 

We are not able to comment more on today’s release because of pending litigation.

This statement is also posted online here: Press Statements in Response to Media Queries About Presidential Records, and in NARA’s FOIA Reading Room page on Records Released In Response to Presidential Records Act (PRA) questions under the Trump Administration.