requested by officials with the National Archives

[GoodTaste]

Mr. Trump delayed returning 15 boxes of material requested by officials with the National Archives for many months, only doing so when there became a threat of action to retrieve them. The case was referred to the Justice Department by the archives early this year.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/0...header&context=breakout_link_back_to_briefing
Source: NYTimes

The search appears to signal a major escalation in the various investigations into the Trump presidency.​

I don't quite understand the meaning of "with" in "requested by officials with the National Archives". It seems to be used as a function word to indicate that the officials are from, or of, or belong to National Archives". I am not sure.

What does "with" mean here?

 

[SoothingDave]

They work for that government agency. As in "I am with the National Archives. He's with the FBI."

 

[GoodTaste]

I don't quite understand "by the archives" in "The case was referred to the Justice Department by the archives early this year" either, which seems to mean "The case was brought to the Justice Department for judgement according to the archives early this year". I am not sure.

 

[5jj]

I don't quite understand "by the archives" in "The case was referred to the Justice Department by the archives early this year" either, which seems to mean "The case was brought to the Justice Department for judgement according to the archives early this year". I am not sure.

This is a passive-voice construction. "The case was referred to the Justice Department by the archives early this year" - "The archives referred the case to the Justice Department early this year,

 

[GoodTaste]

This is a passive-voice construction. "The case was referred to the Justice Department by the archives early this year" - "The archives referred the case to the Justice Department early this year,

"The archives referred the case to the Justice Department early this year" - "The archives mentioned the case in which the Justice Department was involved early this year“？

 

[emsr2d2]

No. If you "refer something to the Justice Department" it means that you give them all the information about a case and hope that they will pursue a prosecution.

It's a different use of "refer". It doesn't mean "mention".

I couldn't find a site specifically about the Justice Department, but here's the UK's Crown Prosecution Service page on "Referral of cases".