by Casey Harper
The federal archive agency that helped spark former President Donald Trump’s first federal indictment has come under fire from Republicans after reporting showed the agency has embraced far-left diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Republicans blasted the National Archives and Records Administration after The Center Square reported that the agency’s latest 2022 DEI plan pledges to double down on equity training for employees.
The agency’s plan essentially pledges to work to get more minority applicants and leaders and lower the percentage of white Americans in leadership at the agency. The group’s 2012 report defines minorities as “all categories of current and potential employees identified as non-white.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, argued the agency’s equity work actually runs contrary to its mission.
“The National Archives’ work to create ‘safe spaces’ directly interferes with its sober mission of preserving our nation’s history,” Cruz told The Center Square. “Federal bureaucrats are already woke enough without having to attend trainings on ‘white privilege’ and ‘systemic racism.’ ”
The lesser-known federal agency, NARA, was thrust into the national spotlight after it tipped off the U.S. Department of Justice over former Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents, eventually leading to his indictment.
In its 2022 budget request, NARA asked Congress for more than $28 million and nearly 150 new staff to “advance racial equity and support underserved communities.”
The NARA Task Force on Racism delivered a report to the agency’s leadership in 2021 recommending more training on things like “white privilege.”
“Address offensive behavior by staff with specific training on white privilege and systemic racism,” the report said.
On NARA’s website, the agency calls itself a “nonpartisan, independent” group.
Cruz called that into question.
“By creating a woke workforce and aligning with radical left-wing ideology, the National Archives is failing to operate as an independent agency,” Cruz said. “This once-great institution should get back to its stated mission of preserving our nation’s treasured documents, including the original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
“Instead of putting resources towards ensuring that its bureaucrats are sufficiently woke, the National Archives should start working on compiling Joe Biden’s 5,400 emails he sent from a burner account so that they are ready when the congressional subpoenas come flying in,” he added.
Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., who has introduced several bills to push back on equity and Critical Race Theory policies in schools, blasted NARA as well.
“The very institution in charge of preserving our founding documents is now forcing employees to undergo radical DEI ‘training,’” Good told The Center Square. “The Biden Administration should focus on promoting the freedoms acknowledged within the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution instead of indoctrinating federal employees with woke, anti-American ideologies.”
Notably, that same agency worked to get classified documents back from both President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence, neither of whom were charged, though NARA did reportedly inform the DOJ about both.
As The Center Square previously reported, NARA has also reportedly been hesitant to hand over some records of President Joe Biden to Congressional investigators.
House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., has led the Congressional investigation into Hunter Biden’s allegedly criminal overseas business dealings and the president’s alleged role in them.
Comer has also raised questions about political motivation at the agency and blasted the agency for saying it would potentially withhold some Biden records from investigators if it deems them to be “personal.”
NARA did not respond to a request for comment about its equity policies, but a spokesperson told The Center Square it would respond to Comer’s requests for more information.
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Casey Harper is a senior reporter for the Washington, D.C. Bureau of The Center Square.
Photo “Ted Cruz” by Ted Cruz. Background Photo “National Archives Building” by David Samuel. CC BY-SA 3.0.
