Alexandra Ulmer, Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – A U.S. Justice Department investigator has begun an initial stage investigation into the removal of presidential records from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Florida estate. This was according to a source who is familiar with this matter.

This investigation is a result of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration’s February notification to Congress that 15 boxes of White House documents had been recovered from Trump’s Florida residence. Some of these contained classified information.

At the time, U.S. House Oversight Committee stated that they were expanding their investigation into Trump’s actions and asked Archives for additional information. Trump stated previously that he was willing to give certain records back to the Archives.

Taylor Budowich, Trump’s spokesperson, blasted Thursday’s Justice Department probe and called it a fraud.

Budowich declared that “The Democrats who are failing enormously at governing continue to weaponize all branches of government with scam investigations.” Trump’s partisan distractions are not going to stop him and his backers from electing the Democrats into power in November.

Federal law, the U.S. Presidential Records Act allows for the preservation and use of all memos, correspondence, email, notes, and any other writings related to a president’s official duties.

Sources say the Justice Department probe is still at an infancy stage. It is unknown if any criminal charges could be brought against them. On condition of anonymity, the source spoke.

Washington Post reported the investigation earlier.

The Justice Department investigation was made public after Carolyn Maloney (the House Oversight Committee’s Democratic Chair) sent an earlier Thursday letter to U.S. attorney General Merrick Garland complaining that her congressional probe was being blocked by the department.

Maloney wrote to Garland March 28 correspondence from Archives to her committee. In it, the Archives informed Maloney that they could not comment on the Mar-a-Lago contents based on their consultations with the Department of Justice.

Garland must provide an explanation in writing by April 14 regarding whether the Archives will be allowed to participate in the congressional investigation.