Former President Donald Trump blasted the mainstream media Thursday for its "fake news" reporting on his dealings with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
The former president also said an allegation he flushed papers and documents down a White House toilet "is categorically untrue and simply made up by a reporter in order to get publicity for a mostly fictitious book."
On Thursday, it was announced that a House panel was investigating Trump's handling of White House records after 15 boxes of official documents were retrieved from his private Florida property in what lawmakers said was a potentially serious violation of the law.
However, NARA, on Tuesday, issued a statement denying reports that the organization conducted a "raid" on Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort to obtain documents from his time in the White House.
Trump said that his White House papers were handed over in a "very friendly" way.
"Following collaborative and respectful discussions, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) openly and willingly arranged with President Trump for the transport of boxes that contained letters, records, newspapers, magazines, and various articles," Trump said in a statement released by his Save America joint fundraising committee.
"Some of this information will someday be displayed in the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library for the public to view my Administration’s incredible accomplishments for the American People.
"The media's characterization of my relationship with NARA is Fake News. It was exactly the opposite! It was a great honor to work with NARA to help formally preserve the Trump Legacy."
Trump said "papers were given easily and without conflict and on a very friendly basis.” He added that he was told, "I was under no obligation to give this material based on various legal rulings that have been made over the years."
"Crooked Hillary Clinton, as an example, deleted and acid washed 32,000 emails and never gave that to the government," Trump said. "Then, they took large amounts of furniture out of the White House. And Bill Clinton kept numerous audio recordings that the archives wanted, but were unsuccessful at getting after going to court. We won't even mention what is going on with the White House in the current, or various past administrations."
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman claims in her new book "Confidence Man" that White House residence staff periodically discovered wads of printed paper clogging a toilet.
"Also, another fake story, that I flushed papers and documents down a White House toilet, is categorically untrue and simply made up by a reporter in order to get publicity for a mostly fictitious book," Trump said. "The Democrats are just using this and the Unselect Committee of political hacks as a camouflage for how horribly our Country is doing under the Biden Administration.
"In the United States there has unfortunately become two legal standards, one for Republicans and one for Democrats. It should not be that way!"
Haberman also claims Trump has told people that he has remained in contact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un since leaving office. Kim's "love letters," as Trump once called them, were among documents archives retrieved from Mar-a-Lago, Axios reported.
Reuters contributed to this story.
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