“These records may contain critical information that could be extremely useful in piecing together complex cases, even if not immediately pursued,” Senator Charles E. Grassley, an Iowa Republican who is the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote in a letter to the S.E.C. on Wednesday.
Mr. Nester declined to comment on Mr. Grassley’s letter or on a letter to Mr. Grassley from a lawyer for Mr. Flynn that laid out the allegations in detail. H. David Kotz, the S.E.C. inspector general, said that he was investigating the issue and hoped to complete a report by the end of September.
A spokesman for the National Archives did not respond to requests for comment late Wednesday afternoon.
The National Archives wrote to the S.E.C. last year, saying that it “appears that there has been an unauthorized disposal of federal records,” and asked for further information, according to Mr.
Flynn’s chronology. Mr. Flynn said that S.E.C. officials discussed whether to lie about the document destruction because they might be open to criminal liability.
Unlawful and willful destruction of federal records is punishable by up to three years in prison.
