Press/Journalists

Archivist of the United States Statement on Barry Landau Plea
Press Release · Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Washington, DC…Today marks a significant milestone in the prosecution of Barry Landau, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal and to stealing thousands of original documents from major archival repositories including the National Archives Franklin Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park, NY.

I am outraged that Mr. Landau, who fashioned himself as a Presidential historian, violated the public trust at many of our nation’s greatest historical repositories.  He gained the trust of librarians and archivists and took advantage of that relationship to steal from the American people.

I am very grateful to the Department of Justice, the various historical institutions, our own Office of Inspector General, the NARA Holdings Protection Team, and the many archivists at the National Archives who spent countless hours establishing the provenance of the documents taken from Mr. Landau and his accomplice, Jason James Savedoff.

We at the National Archives continue to make strides to ensure that we are protecting our nation’s precious heritage, while at the same time balancing the right of every American to have access to original records.

David S. Ferriero
ARCHIVIST OF THE UNITED STATES

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For press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs Staff at 202-357-5300.

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