The National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) asked the U.S. Secret Service to look into reports of the unauthorized deletion of Secret Service text messages following the Jan. 6 capitol riot, the agency said Tuesday.
NARA made the request in a letter to the record officer for the Secret Service in the Department of Homeland Security after writing the agency became aware through several news sources of potentially deleted text messages dated Jan. 5 and Jan. 6.
If it is determined that any text messages have been improperly deleted, regardless of their relevance to the congressional inquiry, then the Secret Service must send NARA a report documenting the deletion within 30 calendar days, the agency said.
"The United States Secret Service respects and supports the important role of the National Archives and Records Administration in ensuring preservation of government records," the agency said in a statement. "They will have our full cooperation in this review."
JAN. 6 COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS SECRET SERVICE OVER TEXTS ALLEGEDLY DELETED FOLLOWING CAPITOL RIOT
The action comes days after the House committee investigating the Capitol riot subpoenaed the Secret Service for text messages agents reportedly deleted around Jan. 6, 2021, as the panel probes former President Donald Trump’s actions at the time of the deadly siege.
In response to the subpoena, the Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement that the committee "has had our full and unwavering cooperation" since beginning its work and "that does not change."
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He added: "We plan to continue that cooperation by responding swiftly to the Committee’s subpoena."
Fox News' David Spunt and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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