Press Releases
Washington—All nine Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats today called on the White House, the Justice Department and the FBI to preserve all documents related to communication between Russia and all Trump officials and associates, as well as all documents related to Russian interference in the 2016 election.
In a letter to White House Counsel Donald McGahn, the senators, led by Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), wrote, “We are writing to ask that you confirm that the White House, its staff, and its employees have been instructed to preserve and are preserving all materials related to contacts between the Trump Organization, Trump campaign, Trump transition team, or Trump administration, or others acting on their behalf, and Russian government officials or associates, including all materials related to Russia’s efforts to interfere with the 2016 election, communications or contacts with Russian officials or associates since the election, and any investigations into these matters.”
Full text of the letter to the White House follows. A similar letter was sent to the Department of Justice and the FBI.
February 16, 2017
Donald F. McGahn
White House Counsel
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
1650 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20501
Dear Mr. McGahn:
We are writing to ask that you confirm that the White House, its staff, and its employees have been instructed to preserve and are preserving all materials related to contacts between the Trump Organization, Trump campaign, Trump transition team, or Trump administration, or others acting on their behalf, and Russian government officials or associates, including all materials related to Russia’s efforts to interfere with the 2016 election, communications or contacts with Russian officials or associates since the election, and any investigations into these matters.
If this has not been done, we ask that you notify White House staff and employees of this obligation immediately.
As you are aware, the executive branch and Congress have been investigating Russia’s efforts to interfere with the 2016 election. As part of and related to these investigations, there have been ongoing inquiries into communications or contacts between the Trump campaign or Trump transition team and associates or officials of the Russian government, including communications involving Lt. General Michael Flynn.
Please also immediately provide us with all orders, notices or guidance provided to the White House, its staff, and its employees to ensure that all materials that might in any way be related to these matters and investigations have been preserved.
We look forward to your prompt attention and response to our request.
Sincerely,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator
Patrick Leahy
United States Senator
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
Sheldon Whitehouse
United States Senator
Amy Klobuchar
United States Senator
Al Franken
United States Senator
Christopher A. Coons
United States Senator
Richard Blumenthal
United States Senator
Mazie Hirono
United States Senator
