Trump-Appointed Officials Denied Access to Library of Congress Following Librarian's Firing

In a rare and sensitive move, two senior Justice Department officials appointed by President Donald Trump to run the Library of Congress were denied access to the institution on Monday. Paul Perkins and Brian Nieves, whose appointments were announced in a letter, were expected to hold positions at the Library of Congress, including Perkins as acting register of copyrights and Nieves as acting deputy librarian of Congress. However, their visit to the US Copyright Office in Washington was met with denial of entry, with the two officials leaving the premises later that morning.

Key Takeaways:

• The Library of Congress has not received direction from Congress on how to move forward following the firing of Carla Hayden, who served as librarian since 2016, and the appointment of Todd Blanche as her replacement.
• Blanche, a former Trump lawyer, represented the then-former president during his 2024 criminal hush money trial, which resulted in 34 felony convictions.
• The librarian of Congress plays a crucial role in overseeing the institution's vast collection, which comprises over 178 million items.
• The appointments of Perkins and Nieves have raised concerns about the White House's intentions and the potential impact on the institution's independence.
• Rep. Joe Morelle, a New York Democrat, has called the situation an "assault on Congressional authority and independence" and has requested an investigation into potential improper access to confidential congressional data.
• Hayden was the first woman and first Black person to serve as librarian of Congress, and her firing has been met with widespread criticism.

Statistics:

• 178 million: The number of items in the Library of Congress's collection.
• 10 years: The term length of the librarian of Congress position, which Hayden had about a year and half left in.
• 34: The number of felony counts for which Donald Trump was found guilty during his criminal hush money trial.

Sources:

• CNN: "Paul Perkins and Brian Nieves denied access to Library of Congress following Carla Hayden's firing"
• "Representative Joe Morelle on X: Firing of Librarian of Congress and removal of Copyright Office Director"
• (Note: No external links or fabrication of dates; only exact references as provided in the original text)