The Republican National Committee has instructed its employees to preserve all documents related to the 2016 presidential campaign as a precaution as probes continue into Russian election interference, BuzzFeed reported Monday.
RNC staff was instructed not to "delete, destroy, modify, or remove from your paper files, laptop computer, desktop computer, tablet, mobile device, e-mail, or any storage system or device, any documents, records, or other materials that relate to the 2016 presidential election or that may relate to any investigation concerning the election."
The memo, which was sent from the RNC counsel's office to staff on Friday and then obtained by BuzzFeed, states that "Given the important role that the RNC plays in national elections and the potentially expansive scope of the inquiries and investigations, it is possible that we will be contacted with requests for information."
However, the memo stated that the RNC has not yet been contacted by either special counsel Robert Mueller or the various congressional committees, nor does it expect that it will be.
Despite this, the memo said that the RNC has an "obligation to keep potentially relevant documents" as part of "standard procedure for any organization that may be in a position to provide helpful or otherwise relevant information to litigants or investigators."
It also warned that "Serious consequences will result for anyone who fails to comply with this obligation."
The RNC worked closely with the Trump campaign during the presidential election, and its former chairman, Reince Priebus, was Trump's chief of staff in the White House before he was ousted last week.
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