Former Trump aide just said White House destroyed “boxes of documents” related to Mueller probe

Tales of malfeasance and skullduggery in the Trump administration are par for the course these days, but a new allegation by former Trump political aide, Omarosa Manigault Newman, takes the cake.

In an appearance on MSNBC speaking with host Reverend Al Sharpton, the former contestant on the Trump-hosted The Apprentice “reality” show told a frightening story about the sensitive materials she left behind when she exited her White House position — including five boxes of emails from her time working for the Trump campaign, his transition team, and in the White House itself.

“I think it’s important to realize that very early on in the administration, we got letters directing us to preserve all information related to the Mueller investigation, all investigations, any information, any emails, any correspondence,” Manigault Newman explained to Sharpton. “We had a clear directive to preserve those documents, preserve emails, preserve text messages.”

“So I thought it was very interesting that after my discussion with General Kelly in the Situation Room when I went to take my things, I was instructed that I had to leave seven boxes of documents that came from the campaign, the inauguration, the transition, and they would not allow me to get them,” she added.

“What’s very curious to me is that, as I stated, it was seven boxes of documents, and in my emails, they only referenced two, which leads me to believe that they’ve destroyed the other five,” Manigault Newman claimed.

“So, you know, it’s par for the course with this administration. I believe I’m not the only one who’s been subjected to this type of treatment, and I believe that there are more documents that have been destroyed by this administration,” she emphasized. “If it happened to me, it’s happened to others.”

MSNBC‘s Sharpton was incredulous at the accusations being made by the former reality show contestant and sought to clarify her comments to make sure she was alleging what he thought she was.

“Let me be clear because I want to make sure I understand you. You say there was seven boxes, but they only referred to two? So are you suggesting that maybe they destroyed five boxes of emails that could have been evidence?” Sharpton queried Manigault Newman.

Omarosa’s reply left no doubt of her intent to accuse the White House of the illegal destruction of documents that must be preserved under the Federal Records Act,

“Oh, there’s no question,” she answered to Sharpton’s query.

“So we’ll have to see what unfolds. But I’m sure that I’m just not a one-off. I believe that this is a pattern with this administration of being disrespectful to congressional requests, of trying to use intimidation and all types of tactics to keep people silent,” she insisted.

While the credibility of staffers who have been fired from their White House jobs can always be called into question, President Trump’s proven record of deception and obstruction gives more credence to Manigault Newman’s allegations than they might otherwise garner.

The sudden transformation of the seven boxes that Omarosa Manigault Newman left behind into only two boxes of documents certainly warrants investigating, particularly if the materials that disappeared contain evidence of relating to the Mueller report.

Congress, you can add one more name to your subpoena list.

You can watch a clip from Reverend Al Sharpton’s interview with Omarosa Manigault Newman in the video below.

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Original reporting by Bob Brigham at RawStory.

Vinnie Longobardo

is the Managing Editor of Washington Press and a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile, & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art.