Officials are denied access to the Library of Congress after Trump mentions new boss

Employees of the Library of Congress denied access on Monday to two officials from the Ministry of Justice who had been tapped there for top positions as part of a commotion initiated by President Trump, according to two people who are familiar with the situation. The exclusion led to a short impasse on Capitol Hill.

The episode in the library, an office of the legislative location, became the last voltage point in a battle for where the authority of the congress ends and the White House starts. The people described it did this on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment.

It unfolded on Monday after Mr. Trump Mentioned Todd BlancheThe deputy attorney general, who was the main lawyer last year in his criminal trial in Manhattan, as a librarian of the congress, successor to Carla Hayden, That Mr. Trump abruptly fired last week. The position is a presidential appointment, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Around 9 o’clock two officials from the Ministry of Justice arrived at the Head Office of the Library opposite the Capitol and sought access to the American copyright office, which was housed there. They brought a letter from the White House and stated that Mr. Blanche was the acting librarian and that the two men would serve in top rolls at the desk.

Paul Perkins, an associated deputy attorney general, would serve as an acting register of copyright and director of the Copyright Office, said the letter, and Brian Nieves, a substitute Staff Chef and senior policy adviser, would be the acting library. Mr. Trump fired the previous director of the Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter, at the weekend, one of the people said.

Employees of the library called the American Capitol Police and their general counselor, Meg Williams, who told the men that they were not allowed to access the copyright office and asked them to leave, one of the people said.

Mr. Perkins and Mr. Nieves then left the building willingly, accompanied by Mrs. Williams. The staff of the library recognizes Robert Newlen, the principal nominal vice librarian who was Mrs. Hayden’s no. 2, as an acting librarian until they get direction from the congress, one of the people who are familiar with the situation.

A spokesperson for the American Capitol Police said that officers “don’t guide anyone” and that the staff of the Library of Congress did not ask them to “avert someone”.

Representative Joe Morelle van New York, the top democrat in the home administration committee and a member of the Mixed Committee for the Library, said that the switch to dismiss Mrs. Perlmutter and Mrs. Hayden, a grip of the executive power and criticized Republicans because they did not talk to the over -range.

“This promotion again tramples on the article of the congress one authority and throws a trillion dollar industry in chaos,” Mr. Morelle said in a statement After Mrs. Perlmutter was dismissed from the copyright office, referring to Article one of the Constitution, which describes the powers of the congress. “When will my Republican colleagues decide that enough is enough?”

Mr. Morelle led five other Huisdemocrats Call for an investigation In the question of whether the Library had given the Ministry of Government Efficiency or other executive branches, unauthorized access to congress or library data.

Devlin Barrett” Tim Balk And Jennifer Schuesler contributed reporting.