Is the Jan. 6 investigation 'the most difficult challenge' to ever face the National Archives?


The otherwise under-the-radar National Archives and Records Administration has been thrust into the spotlight as of late, amid the ongoing investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as well as a newfound scandal involving mishandled White House records and former President Donald Trump, writes The Hill.
So how is the agency faring under both its newfound notoriety as well as the influx of high-profile work?
"I think it's the most difficult challenge the National Archives has ever had," John Carlin, who worked as the eighth archivist of the United States, told The Hill. "In terms of what potentially could have gone wrong, what could potentially have really damaged the Archives and their image with the public as well as Washington, D.C."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Carlin, who actually led efforts to preserve tapes from the Nixon White House during his Archives tenure, said he's been "pleasantly surprised by the Archives' ability to navigate the document requests from the Jan. 6 committee, pointing to the lack of public complaints from lawmakers as evidence the Archives staff have done a good job under difficult circumstances," The Hill writes.
At first, Carlin thought, "Oh gosh, they don't have the staff to do it," he said.
The Jan. 6 committee's "sweeping" initial request sought "documents, communications, calendars, schedules, movement logs, videos, photographs, visitor logs and telephone records related to Jan. 6 and efforts to challenge the 2020 election results," The Hill writes.
Committee Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told reporters that NARA had "added about 20 employees to help with our committee's request, just given the nature of what we're looking for."
That said, another former archivist noted that such massive requests could mean pulling staffers from other divisions of the Archives to help out. That swapping could hurt other operations in the end.
"Those units that have had to 'loan' people to the project, they're stuck," said Trudy Huskamp Peterson. "It trickles down."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
What is 'career catfishing' and why are Gen Z doing it?
Under The Radar Successful job applicants are increasingly disappearing before their first day
-
The countries around the world without jury trials
The Explainer Legal systems in much of continental Europe and Asia do not rely on randomly selected members of the public
-
How did the Wagner Group recruit young British men for arson attack?
Today's Big Question Russian operatives have been using encrypted messaging apps to groom saboteurs across Europe
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin on August 1, with rates ranging from 25% to 40% on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration