The AHA has joined the National Security Archive, the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington as plaintiffs in a lawsuit intended to prevent valuable historical records from being irretrievably lost.  The plaintiffs seek to ensure that the current administration complies with, and the National Archives provides oversight for, the charge of the Presidential Records Act to preserve “complete copies” of presidential records, including relevant metadata of digital materials.

Read the press release on the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington website. 

Update, February 2021: As one of four plaintiffs in National Security Archive et. al. v. Donald J. Trump et. al., the American Historical Association (AHA) joins our colleagues in reflecting on significant accomplishments: a formal instruction from the Justice Department articulating precise instruction to the White House for records retention, and immediate attention to these issues on the part of the Biden administration. The AHA continues to monitor these and related issues. The Association has been involved in conversations with Congressional staff about necessary revisions to the Presidential Records Act to ensure historians’ access to complete records of future administrations.