Donald Trump took classified material from White House, says US National Archives

US National Archives and Records Administration told US Congress in a letter that former US president Donald Trump took classified material to his Florida home from the White House. 

The Archives said it had informed the Department of Justice, which would handle any investigation.

"NARA has identified items marked as classified national security information within the boxes," David Ferriero, the archivist of the United States, said in a letter to Democratic U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney, chair of the House of Representatives oversight committee.

Maloney's committee has been looking into Trump's handling of records by the Republican president, who left office in January 2021.

"These new revelations deepen my concern about former President Trump’s flagrant disregard for federal records laws and the potential impact on our historical record," Maloney said in a statement.

"The National Archives did not 'find' anything, they were given, upon request, presidential records in an ordinary and routine process to ensure the preservation of my legacy and in accordance with the Presidential Records Act," Trump said in a written statement.

"If this was anyone but “Trump,” there would be no story here."

The letter from Ferriero also said that some White House staff conducted official business using nonofficial electronic messaging accounts that were not copied or forwarded into official electronic messaging accounts and that it was in the process of obtaining some of those missing records.

The Washington Post reported last week that some of the documents taken to Trump's home were marked as classified, which could intensify the legal pressure Trump or his aides could face.

The Presidential Records Act requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president's official duties.

Claiming executive privilege, Trump sued unsuccessfully to stop the release of records from his White House, including to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

(With inputs from agencies)