19 Mar 2025

Sacking of U.S. Archivist Raises Concerns Over Records Integrity

Dr. Colleen Shogan has been controversially sacked as the Archivist of the United States, and has been replaced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio—who lacks archival experience. This decision, along with reports of planned purges at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), signals ongoing tensions over government records.

Shogan's dismissal appears politically motivated, as NARA played a key role in recovering classified documents from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Federal law mandates that the Archivist be appointed based on professional qualifications, yet Trump bypassed protocol by neither providing Congress with an explanation nor officially announcing Rubio’s appointment.

Meanwhile, long-time Deputy Archivist William J. Bosanko was reportedly forced out, with Nixon Foundation CEO Jim Byron now overseeing NARA operations. Additional firings suggest a broader effort to reshape the agency.

With Trump’s past handling of records—including alleged document destruction—concerns grow over the future of government transparency. Whoever becomes the next permanent Archivist will face the critical task of ensuring presidential records remain in the publics hands.

Read full article here.

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