Watchdog Groups Sue Trump Over Memo Allowing Deletion of Official Records

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and the Freedom of the Press Foundation filed a lawsuit against President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other White House officials challenging an internal White House memo that asserts text messages between officials can be deleted despite the Presidential Records Act requiring their preservation. The memo reportedly relaxes restrictions on emails from personal accounts and general record-keeping practices. According to CREW, the memo represents 'a deliberate attempt to evade transparency requirements and hide communications from public scrutiny and historical record.' This follows an April 7, 2026 lawsuit by the American Historical Association and American Oversight challenging a DOJ Office of Legal Counsel memo declaring the Presidential Records Act unconstitutional. The watchdog groups argue these coordinated actions systematically undermine federal transparency laws and violate requirements for preserving preside...

"a deliberate attempt to evade transparency requirements and hide communications from public scrutiny and historical record" — CREW's characterization of the White House memo in their lawsuit filing