Former American Presidents are facing scrutiny by the National Archives over documents following the revelation by Pence, Biden, and Trump. The revelations throw light on the scope of the mishandling issues that classified documents face.
Former VP Mike Pence now joins the group of senior officials who mishandled classified documents. Presidents going back as far as Jimmy Carter is now under scrutiny as the National Archives has asked them to consider looking into materials they might have in their procession.
A spokesperson for Jimmy Carter said that he did respond to the call even though the law was not present during his tenure. After he relinquished office, he instructed his team and asked them to cooperate with National Archives.
National Archives Request Goes Back To The Days Of Jimmy Carter
The Presidential Records Act was signed in 1978 and oversees the official recorded documents of both American Vice-Presidents and Presidents after 1981. The act transfers the lawful ownership of the records from both private and public entities to the American National Archives. The Carter Center has not denied the reports that certain classified papers ended up at Jimmy Carter’s home in Georgia at least once and were handed over to the National Archives.
A spokesperson of the Carter Center said that such oversight could occur and was normal. He said that if ever a confidential document was found, it was turned in. But no employees of the Carter Center or the Presidential Library and Museum have reported even hearing of classified materials being found at his home.
Representatives of Clinton, Bush, and Obama have said that the Presidents sent out materials to National Archives when they ended their terms in office. Obama’s representatives have also pointed to a statement released by the Archives that has decided media reports that boxes filled with classified records were missing from the office of the Obama-led administration.
