In a series of interviews with CNN, a half-dozen people familiar with the matter described a tense situation that took nearly eight months to resolve -- beginning with NARA's outreach in May and ending with its retrieval of the boxes from Mar-a-Lago last month.

In the end, it may have been a threat that ended the impasse. At one point, the Archives notified a member of Trump's team that it planned to alert Congress and the Department of Justice of the matter if it wasn't quickly resolved, according to a person familiar with the warning. According to a person familiar with the matter, the Archives have since asked the Justice Department to investigate. It is unclear whether the Justice Department has started an investigation.

The House Oversight Committee chairwoman, Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York, has also vowed to initiate a probe of the records' removal from Trump's Palm Beach resort, which she called "deeply troubling" in a statement on Monday.
In a separate statement to CNN, the Archives said, "We do not comment on potential or ongoing investigations."