President Trump’s Administration Cancels Obama’s Site Amidst Concerns of Divorce
- Barack Obama's plans to cement his legacy faced another hurdle as Elon Musk's DOGE cancelled the lease for a building in Chicago holding his presidential records
- The storage site at Hoffman Estates, run by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), is one of many federal leases being terminated
- The items from the site will be sent to a permanent location in Maryland, while Obama's Presidential Center continues to face lawsuits, ballooning costs, and construction delays
Chicago, Illinois, USA – Barack Obama's plans to cement his legacy hit another hurdle as Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cancelled the lease for a building in Chicago holding his presidential records.
This was the latest setback for the former president, who, along with his wife Michelle, is also fighting back against rumours of divorce.
Source: Getty Images
The storage site being closed by Musk is at Hoffman Estates in the northwest of Chicago and is run by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
Details of the storage site
NARA began leasing the building in 2016, paying $1.4 million a year in rent, according to the General Services Administration.
The site is separate from the 9.3-acre, $830 million Obama Presidential Center in the city's south side, which is scheduled to open next year.
The Obama Presidential Center has faced numerous challenges, including lawsuits, ballooning costs, and construction delays.
NARA uses the temporary storage site for tens of millions of documents, classified records, and more than 35,000 artifacts and gifts accumulated by the Obama family during his eight years in office.
Impact of lease termination
Gifts to a president are the property of the United States, per federal law. If a president wants to keep them, they must pay full cost; otherwise, the gifts go to the Archives for preservation.
Obama keepsakes in storage include a jeweled sword from Saudi Arabia, dresses worn by Michelle Obama at inaugural ceremonies, Barack Obama's silver BlackBerry, and a baseball signed by the 2010 San Francisco Giants.
The items will be sent to a permanent site in College Park, Maryland, and occasionally lent to the Obama Presidential Center to be put on display.
The Obama Presidential Center, still under construction, is a private venture funded by the Obama Foundation, backed by donors. However, Obama's records are the property of the federal government.
Federal government's cost-cutting measures
There are about 25 million unclassified paper documents at the Hoffman Estates building, which are being digitised.
They will be available in digital format at the Obama Presidential Center when it opens. Musk and President Donald Trump have been on a mission to cut the size and scope of the federal government.
The Obama storage facility is one of many federal leases and contracts being terminated, according to a list published by DOGE. Musk is working to close about half the government office space across the nation.
However, nearly 40 percent of the nearly 2,300 announced contract terminations won't save any money, as the funds were already spent or committed. Federal officials had already planned to exit the lease for the Obama facility later this year.
Judge takes decision as Elon Musk moves to probe US treasury
Legit.ng earlier reported that a U.S. federal judge has issued an injunction blocking Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the personal financial records of millions of Americans held by the U.S. Treasury Department.
The decision, delivered by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, immediately restrains DOGE and Musk from reviewing or retaining any copies of the records.
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Source: Legit.ng
