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President Donald Trump’s administration has been accused of destroying documents related to his many renovations in Washington, D.C.
Trump is rushing to finish his pet projects — including the creation of a 250-foot triumphal arch at the end of Arlington Memorial Bridge and an overhaul of the East Potomac Golf Links — before his term is up in two years.
As Trump looks to stamp his legacy into the nation’s capital, concerns have been raised about whether he is getting proper approval for the projects.
In recent weeks, multiple credible whistleblowers have approached the Natural Resources Committee, claiming the Interior Department is destroying documents in anticipation of scrutiny, congressional sources told CNN.
Three Interior Department staffers told Politico in August that officials have repeatedly shredded documents and used disappearing messages on Signal to avoid the legally required preservation of communications.
“They’re terrified of written records,” one ex-official told the publication.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle told The Independent, “The White House expects the entire administration and all agencies to abide by federal record retention rules,” adding that “any allegations without evidence is speculative and irresponsible reporting.”
An Interior Department spokesperson has also denied mishandling documents, calling the whistleblower claims “100% false.”
