Investigation Urged After Congressional Librarian’s Firing

Following the abrupt dismissal of a Congressional librarian last week, several lawmakers, including U.S. Representative Terry Sewell, are calling for an inquiry into possible inappropriate interactions between the Library of Congress and the White House.

A brief incident occurred at the library on Monday when staff refused entry to Department of Justice officials who claimed to have jurisdiction over the library. The DOJ officials ultimately left after the library staff resisted their entry.

Capitol police were summoned, but the library’s staff indicated that their presence was unnecessary.

Sewell, representing Birmingham as a Democrat, has joined a letter directed to Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), a leading committee member. The letter requests that Library of Congress Inspector General Kimberly Benoit urgently oversee concerns about potential improper communications between the Library and various legislative branch entities and the administration. It also raises the alarm over the possibility of unauthorized data transfers from Congress or the Library to government agencies.

“The abrupt termination of Congressional librarians has sparked significant worries that Dr. Carla Hayden may be improperly targeting library staff with unfair employment practices and inappropriate demands. This includes possibly confidential communications between Congressional offices and library service units,” Sewell commented. “Libraries function within the legislative branch, serving as an independent and essential part of government.”

She asserted that executives lack the authority to request or access confidential legislative information, noting that the library cannot legally provide such data without Congressional approval.

The letter is backed by several other members of Congress, including House Budget Committee ranking member Rosa Delauro (D-Conn.), Legislative Branch Ranking Member Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.), and Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas).

Lawmakers have called for the Inspector General’s office to investigate several issues, including:

• Requests by the government’s Efficiency Bureau or similar administrative entities to access library data, particularly communications between Congressional Research Services and Congressional offices.
• Whether the library staff received directives from the administration to alter access protocols or information-sharing practices with outside entities.
• Any attempts by executive department officials to bypass established communication channels within the legislative branch.
• Any other potentially illegal or inappropriate conduct by the administration discovered during the investigation.

“Considering the urgent nature of this matter and the risk of lasting damage to one of our most vital institutions, I request that this investigation be prioritized,” the letter concludes.