Trump fires National Archives chief amid controversy over classified documents

Former President Donald Trump has dismissed Colleen Shogan, the Archivist of the United States, after nearly two years of public complaints about the National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) role in the investigation into his handling of classified documents. 

The decision to remove Shogan was announced on social media by Sergio Gor, the director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, on February 7 evening, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media

“At the direction of @realDonaldTrump, the Archivist of the United States has been dismissed tonight,” Gor wrote on X. “We thank Colleen Shogan for her service.”

Shogan, 49, was not in her current role when NARA was attempting to recover presidential records from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in 2021 and 2022. However, Trump has long viewed the agency with suspicion, particularly after its involvement in the investigation and subsequent prosecution related to classified materials found at his Florida residence. He has accused the agency’s leadership of being complicit in efforts to damage his political standing.

While the dismissal of Shogan has been confirmed, uncertainty had surrounded the timing of the announcement. On February 6, Archives officials clarified that they had not received official communication about any leadership changes, and Shogan was continuing to carry out her duties. This followed an ABC News report earlier in the week suggesting Trump had replaced Shogan with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an acting capacity. ABC News later corrected its report, acknowledging that discussions about Shogan’s removal had taken place, but her status was still unclear.

At the time of her ouster, no immediate replacement for Shogan was announced, leaving the future leadership of NARA uncertain. Should no further action be taken by Trump, Deputy Archivist Jay Bosanko, a career employee, would assume the role of acting head of the agency.

The National Archives has played a critical role in the legal battle over Trump’s retention of classified documents after his presidency. The complex legal framework governing presidential records became a focal point of the criminal case against Trump, culminating in a high-profile trial in South Florida. Trump maintained that he had declassified the records and even suggested they were his personal property. However, prosecutors emphasized that no evidence had been presented to show that Trump had formally declassified or designated the materials as personal.

In a significant ruling last July, a judge dismissed the criminal case against Trump, citing issues with the appointment of the special counsel leading the investigation. Following Trump’s election victory last November, the Justice Department dropped its efforts to revive the case.

Jason R. Baron, a former director of litigation at the Archives, expressed concern over Shogan’s dismissal. Federal law mandates that the Archivist be appointed based on professional qualifications and without regard to political affiliation. The law also stipulates that the president must inform Congress of any dismissal of the Archivist and provide an explanation.

By Vugar Khalilov