{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://sewell.house.gov/2025/5/rep-sewell-requests-investigation-by-library-of-congress-inspector-general-into-improper-communications-potential-unauthorized-transfer-of-congressional-data-to-trump-administration", "Rep. Sewell Requests Investigation by Library of Congress Inspector General Into Improper Communications, Potential Unauthorized Transfer of Congressional Data to Trump Administration", "2025-05-12", "2025", "2025-05", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Terri A. Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", "sewell", "https://sewell.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) joined Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Joe Morelle (NY-25) in a letter request to the Library of Congress Inspector General Kimberly Benoit seeking an investigation and continued monitoring of potential improper communications between the Library of Congress\u2014a legislative branch agency\u2014and the executive branch, including the possibility of the unauthorized transfer of congressional or Library data to executive branch agencies and personnel.\n\nThe letter was also signed by House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Appropriations\u2019 Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Ranking Member Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Rep. Norma Torres (CA-35), and Rep. Julie Johnson (TX-32).\n\n\u201cThe abrupt firing of Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden raises serious concerns that the executive branch is improperly targeting the Library and its employees with adverse employment actions and inappropriate requests for information including, but not limited to, confidential communications between congressional offices and the Library\u2019s various service units,\u201d wrote the lawmakers. \u201cThe Library is part of the legislative branch\u2014an independent and coequal branch of government. The executive has no authority to demand or receive confidential legislative branch data, and the Library has no legal basis to supply such information without authorization from Congress.\u201d\n\nThe Members request that the IG\u2019s Office investigates:\n\nwhether the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) or other executive branch entities have requested or otherwise attempted to access or review Library data, including but not limited to communications between the Congressional Research Service and congressional offices;\n\nwhether Library staff have received directives from the executive branch to modify access protocols or information sharing practices with entities outside the legislative branch;\n\nwhether executive branch officials have attempted to circumvent existing inter-branch communication pathways; and\n\nany other potentially illegal or inappropriate actions by the executive branch that you discover as part of your investigatory efforts.\n\n\u201cGiven the time-sensitive nature of this matter and the potential for irreparable harm to one of our most important and inimitable institutions, I request this investigation be prioritized,\u201d concluded the lawmakers.\n\nFull text of the letter is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T00:49:36Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://sewell.house.gov/2025/5/rep-sewell-requests-investigation-by-library-of-congress-inspector-general-into-improper-communications-potential-unauthorized-transfer-of-congressional-data-to-trump-administration"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7193318344652653, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}