Appeals Court Questions Trump Records Claim

Trump administration asked the D.C. CircuitCourt of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuitcurrent United States federal appellate court to invalidate the Presidential Records Act, saying it unconstitutionally intrudes on presidential authority. It said official White House papers belong to the president. Historians and watchdog groups challenging the administration say the law is constitutional and makes those records government property. Congress enacted the law in 1978 after Watergate to preserve official presidential records and transfer them to the National Archives. A federal judge earlier rejected the administration’s position and ordered the White House to preserve records during the case. At a hearing, a three-judge panel questioned whether a president could sell records containing national security secrets. The appeals court has not ruled, and the dispute could reach the Supreme Court.