The Lincoln–Johnson ledger-removal allegation refers to a 19th-century news story asserting that 17th U.S. President Andrew Johnson had illegally removed documents from the White House that rightfully belonged to the American people as part of the historical record of the United States federal government.
As the 16th U.S. Vice President Andrew Johnson of Tennessee had succeeded to the Presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln but Johnson failed to obtain a nomination for the 1868 election from either major national political party, and in due course Ulysses S. Grant was elected President of the United States. Johnson and Grant disliked one another. Johnson's term in office as the 17th U.S. president ended, and Grant's term began, on March 4, 1869.[1]
In any case, within the first month after Johnson left office, a news story appeared in the Cincinnati Times newspaper that accused him of, at least, mishandling of government documents and at worst, outright theft. The story was picked up and republished in a dozen other, mostly Northern and Western, presumably Republican-aligned, newspapers, during April and May.[2]
It is unclear if the "books of record" existed, if they were improperly removed, or, if they existed and were improperly removed, whether or not they were ever recovered.