BREAKING: Justice Dept. plans to investigate Trump's 15 boxes of records from Mar-a-Lago [View all]

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https://wapo.st/3LErJ4C

The Justice Department has begun taking steps to launch an investigation into former president Donald Trump’s improper removal of presidential records to Mar-a-Lago — some of which were labeled “top secret,” people familiar with the matter said.

The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the probe remained in the very early stages. It’s not yet clear if Justice Department officials have begun reviewing the materials in the boxes or seeking to interview those who might have seen them or been involved in assembling and moving them.

The news comes as the department faces increasing political pressure to disclose its plans in the case. On Thursday, House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) accused the Justice Department of obstructing her committee’s investigation into the 15 boxes of records Trump took to his estate in Palm Beach, Fla.

In a letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Maloney alleges that the Justice Department is “interfering” with the investigation by preventing the National Archives and Records Administration from handing over a detailed inventory of the contents of the recovered boxes.