Documents Written with Trump’s Favorite 'Sharpie Pen'
'Pro-Trump' Republican Lawmakers' Names Also Included
Maggie Haberman, a reporter for The New York Times (NYT), released two photos showing evidence of former U.S. President Trump's tampering with presidential records. According to Haberman, the photo on the left is of a bathroom inside the White House, and the photo on the right is of a bathroom used during an overseas trip. Photo by Axiomx homepage capture.
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Former U.S. President Donald Trump is under investigation for allegedly damaging presidential records during his tenure. Amid this, a White House correspondent from The New York Times (NYT) has released two photos related to the matter. The photos reportedly show parts of documents written with a Sharpie pen favored by Trump and the name of a Republican lawmaker known for pro-Trump views.
On the 8th (local time), according to internet media Axios and others, NYT reporter Maggie Haberman, ahead of the publication of her book "Confidence Man," released two related photos and said, "Although it was not widely known within the West Wing (the White House executive offices) that former President Trump disposed of documents in this manner, some aides were aware of his repeated habit."
Haberman explained that the left photo among the released images was taken in a White House restroom, and the right photo was from a restroom used during an overseas trip. According to the media, most words are unreadable, making it difficult to ascertain the document's content, but the handwriting appears to be written with a Sharpie pen preferred by former President Trump. Additionally, some identifiable characters include the name of Republican Representative Elise Stefanik, known for her pro-Trump stance.
Haberman also revealed that document disposal occurred multiple times within the White House during Trump's tenure and that there were at least two instances of damage during overseas trips. She pointed out, "This is an extension of former President Trump's long-standing habit of tearing up documents that should be preserved under the Presidential Records Act."
In response to these claims, Trump's spokesperson Taylor Budowich denied them as "fabrications." He told Axios, "If the photos of paper in the toilet are part of a book promotion, then the author must be desperately trying to sell the book," adding, "I know there are people who would fabricate such stories to oppose former President Trump."
Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a search and seizure at Trump's private Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago Resort, on the same day on suspicion of unauthorized removal of classified White House materials. It is unusual for U.S. investigative authorities to carry out a search on a former president.
Earlier, the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot revealed that some of Trump's records were damaged and some were taken to Mar-a-Lago Resort. It is known that some of the removed materials were marked as "Top Secret."
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