A watchdog has challenged the Trump Justice Department’s decision to erase the government’s main database of Jan. 6 defendants from the web, saying it amounted to an illegal destruction of an official record.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington asked the National Archives and Records Administration and the Justice Department’s inspector general to probe the move.

“The DOJ’s removal of this database is squarely in line with President Trump’s ongoing efforts to rewrite or erase the insurrection and likely violates federal law,” CREW said in a statement. “CREW urges NARA and the DOJ IG to investigate and take appropriate action including instructing the agency to issue a report in accordance with federal requirements.”

The database disappeared from its online home several days after President Trump was sworn in. It was a one-stop shop for information on the roughly 1,600 defendants who’d been charged — and in many cases convicted and sentenced — for their involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Mr. Trump has issued a blanket pardon to the defendants. But the Justice Department hasn’t explained the deletion of the database.

The department didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The Archives, in a statement, told The Washington Times it was “aware of the concern raised by CREW.” It said it will work with the Justice Department to figure out what happened.

But the Archives also suggested just removing the database from its online home wouldn’t be illegal.

“Under the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. 3103), federal agencies are responsible for their web content and records management. Databases and other web content may be removed from public access while being preserved in accordance with the law,” the agency said.

In addition to the database, the FBI deleted its “Capitol violence” web page and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Washington, which prosecuted the cases, has also deleted its “Capitol Siege” page.

Individual press releases detailing charges, convictions and sentences in the cases are still available on the Justice Department website.