In August 2022, on the day the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago to recover files from Donald Trump's first term, another allegation was swirling around – that presidential papers may have been flushed down a White House toilet. This raised a lot of questions. How many documents could a person flush down a toilet? Could they be recovered? Did the FBI ever investigate? Join hosts Jason Leopold and Matt Topic, and producers Heather Schroering and Sean Cannon, on a journey of sinkholes, fatbergs and the power of public record searches.

In August 2022, on the day the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago to recover files from Donald Trump's first term, another allegation was swirling around &ndash; that presidential papers may have been flushed down a White House toilet. This raised a lot of questions. How many documents could a person flush down a toilet? Could they be recovered? Did the FBI ever investigate? Join hosts Jason Leopold and Matt Topic, and producers Heather Schroering and Sean Cannon, on a journey of sinkholes, fatbergs and the power of public record searches.

How did Russian pranksters trick a top government official? What happens to documents flushed down White House toilets? The answers exist. The trick is getting the government to disclose them.

 

By law, nearly every move federal agencies make—every email, every memo, every receipt—belongs to the public. The key to gaining access is the Freedom of Information Act. It’s the tool that forces the government to open its files…though rarely without a fight.

 

From Bloomberg & No Smiling, Disclosure is a podcast about cracking open those secrets. Join FOIA reporter Jason Leopold and First Amendment attorney Matt Topic for a guided tour of explosive details, bureaucratic foibles and details that powerful people never wanted you to know. For access to episodes on Apple early and ad-free, subscribe at www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts.

How did Russian pranksters trick a top government official? What happens to documents flushed down White House toilets? The answers exist. The trick is getting the government to disclose them.
&nbsp;
By law, nearly every move federal agencies make&mdash;every email, every memo, every receipt&mdash;belongs to the public. The key to gaining access is the Freedom of Information Act. It&rsquo;s the tool that forces the government to open its files&hellip;though rarely without a fight.
&nbsp;
From Bloomberg &amp; No Smiling, Disclosure is a podcast about cracking open those secrets. Join FOIA reporter Jason Leopold and First Amendment attorney Matt Topic for a guided tour of explosive details, bureaucratic foibles and details that powerful people never wanted you to know. For access to episodes on Apple early and ad-free, subscribe at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts" data-destination="rte:bind">www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts</a>.

Disclosure

Our Deep Dive for White House Records Starts in the Toilet

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8058c7b0-356e-45cb-ab73-b39200f638c7/transcript

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