The Jan. 6 Congressional Committee has been trying to get emails, text messages and phone records of Trump Administration White House staff, the Secret Service, and the Department of Homeland Security during the period surrounding Jan. 6. First it was found that over seven hours of White House phone records were missing on that day. The White House chief of staff has refused to provide his full records. The Secret Service revealed that text messages of agents involved with Jan. 6 were deleted and lost. Then we hear that the Department of Homeland Security acting director and his acting deputy are missing their phone records, too. Are these coincidences?
The inspector general of DHS, which has responsibility for the Secret Service, is a Donald Trump appointee. As was the acting director of DHS and his deputy. All have responsibility to retain records as required by the Presidential Records Act.
The IG knew that the Secret Service phone records were missing months before he announced that fact, but did not notify the Jan. 6 committee. He had previously squashed Secret Service investigations of a Trump super-spreader event at the White House, and the removal of peaceful protesters from a park near the White House, so Trump could have a photo op with a Bible in front of a church. This man is still on the job.
The director of the Secret Service is leaving this month for a cushy job with a corporate entity.
All of these “Best People” need to be investigated by the Department of Justice for violations of the Presidential Records Act. Once they are in cuffs and leg irons, some may come clean and reveal criminality in the planning and execution of the insurrection of Jan. 6. When the FBI rolls into Mar A Lago with a paddy wagon, we can finally rid ourselves of the stain of the Trump presidency on our democracy.
Thomas Oatway
Valencia
