https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/do...d-documents-florida-grand-jury-rcna88233

Wow, Florida…. Didn’t see that coming.

DeSantis getting rid of the competition....

trump is complaining about 1850 Biden boxes now too

Well, when Biden is out of office Trumpians can charge him. Until then, they have nothing.

And boy, espionage is damn close to being called a traitor. Can’t say I didn’t warn from day one this guy was a slug. The dis to slugs unintended.

What 1850 biden boxes? what the hell is this idiot talking about?

For the week, they have been talking about it. Guess the news media was right?

So first let's debunk trump's false claims that all of these documents had previously been declassified by him. You know the "I could just think it" defense.............

Exclusive: Donald Trump admits on tape he didn’t declassify ‘secret information’

Former President Donald Trump acknowledged on tape in a 2021 meeting that he had retained “secret” military information that he had not declassified, according to a transcript of the audio recording obtained by CNN.

“As president, I could have declassified, but now I can’t,” Trump says, according to the transcript.

CNN obtained the transcript of a portion of the meeting where Trump is discussing a classified Pentagon document about attacking Iran. In the audio recording, which CNN previously reported was obtained by prosecutors, Trump says that he did not declassify the document he’s referencing, according to the transcript.

Trump was indicted Thursday on seven counts in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the mishandling of classified documents. Details from the indictment have not been made public, so it unknown whether any of the seven counts refer to the recorded 2021 meeting. Still, the tape is significant because it shows that Trump had an understanding the records he had with him at Mar-a-Lago after he left the White House remained classified.

Publicly, Trump has claimed that all the documents he brought with him to his Florida residence are declassified, while he’s railed against the special counsel’s investigation as a political witch hunt attempting to interfere with his 2024 presidential campaign.

CNN first reported last week that prosecutors had obtained the audio recording of Trump’s 2021 meeting at his Bedminster, New Jersey, resort, with two people working on the autobiography of Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows as well as aides employed by the former president, including communications specialist Margo Martin.

The transcript of the audio recording suggests that Trump is showing the document he’s discussing to those in the room. Several sources have told CNN the recording captures the sound of paper rustling, as if Trump was waving the document around, though is not clear if it was the actual Iran document.

“Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this,” Trump says at one point, according to the transcript. “This was done by the military and given to me.”

Trump was complaining in the meeting about Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. The meeting occurred shortly after The New Yorker published a story by Susan Glasser detailing how, in the final days of Trump’s presidency, Milley instructed the Joint Chiefs to ensure Trump issued no illegal orders and that he be informed if there was any concern.

“Well, with Milley – uh, let me see that, I’ll show you an example. He said that I wanted to attack Iran. Isn’t that amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him,” Trump says, according to the transcript. “They presented me this – this is off the record, but – they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him. We looked at some. This was him. This wasn’t done by me, this was him.”

Trump continues: “All sorts of stuff – pages long, look. Wait a minute, let’s see here. I just found, isn’t that amazing? This totally wins my case, you know. Except it is like, highly confidential. Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this.”

“Secret” and “confidential” are two levels of classification for sensitive government documents.

In March, prosecutors subpoenaed Trump for the document referenced in the 2021 recording. Trump’s lawyers provided some documents related to Iran and Milley in response to the subpoena, but they could not find the document itself.

Federal prosecutors have been investigating Trump over the mishandling of classified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago and obstruction of the investigation. Trump’s lawyer said the former president was given a summons by the Justice Department to appear in court Tuesday in southern Florida.

The Mar-a-Lago investigation is one of two being led by Smith, who was appointed special counsel in November by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election is still ongoing.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/09/politics/trump-tape-didnt-declassify-secret-information/index.html

They were right about the indictment but they underestimated how many counts that indictment included by a long shot.............

Trump charged with 37 counts in classified documents case, indictment says

A 37-count criminal indictment against Donald Trump over his handling of classified government records was unsealed Friday.

The charging document was made public a day after the former president was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Miami.

Among other allegations, the indictment says that Trump showed classified documents to other people in the summer of 2021, after leaving office.

One of those documents was a “plan of attack” that he said was prepared by the Pentagon, while the other was a classified map related to a military operation, the indictment alleges.

The FBI raid of Trump’s Florida home last August discovered hundreds of classified documents, which he had failed to turn over to U.S. officials despite months of their efforts to recover them.

The indictment says Trump was aware of the highly sensitive nature of the documents, quoting him at one point as saying: “As president, I could have declassified it ... but this is still secret.”

Also charged in the indictment was Trump’s valet, Walter Nauta, who faces several of the same charges as his boss, with whom he allegedly conspired to keep classified records and hide them from a federal grand jury.

Trump is due to be arraigned in Miami on Tuesday, the day before his 77th birthday.

He and Nauta each face a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charges, which are conspiracy to obstruct justice and counts related to withholding and concealing the government records.

Thirty-one of the counts accuse Trump of willful retention of national defense information. He is also charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice; withholding a document or record; corruptly concealing a document or record; concealing a document in a federal investigation; scheme to conceal; and false statements and representations

The indictment notes, “As he departed the White House, TRUMP caused scores of boxes, many of which contained classified documents, to be transported to The Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he maintained his residence.”

“TRUMP was not authorized to possess or retain those classified documents,” the indictment says.

The indictment estimates that Trump’s trial would take between 21 and 60 days.

Earlier Friday, two of his lawyers resigned from representing him in the classified documents case, and in another pending federal criminal investigation for his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/09/trump-indictment-in-classified-records-case-is-unsealed.html

Here is a direct link to the actual indictment itself in its entirety. It spells out each count contained in the indictment................

Read the full indictment against Trump

https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-full-document-640043319549

It seems there are only 34 counts against trump directly. From what I've seen, Walt Nauta, a personal aide to Donald Trump has also been indicted in the case and my guess is the other three counts are against him.

Trump indictment unsealed in documents case | Live updates


MIAMI (AP) — Follow along for live updates on former President Donald Trump, who has been indicted on charges of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate. The indictment marks the first time in U.S. history that a former president faces criminal charges by the federal government he once oversaw. Trump faces the possibility of prison if convicted.

___

LAWS APPLY TO ‘EVERYONE’ TRUMP SPECIAL COUNSEL SAYS

The Justice Department special counsel who filed charges against Trump says in his first public statement that the country has “one set of laws and they apply to everyone’ while he outlined the charges against the former president.

Jack Smith spoke to reporters briefly in Washington on Friday but did not take questions.

“Adherence to the rule of law is a bedrock principle of the Department of Justice and our nation’s commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world,” Smith said.

Smith said said prosecutors would seek a speedy trial and “very much look forward" to presenting their case.

Trump is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday in South Florida.

___

TRUMP KEPT CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS IN BATHROOM, SHOWER OF CLUB, INDICTMENT SAYS

The indictment alleges Trump kept classified documents in the bathroom and shower at his Florida estate, as well as various other locations that included a ballroom, storeroom, office and bedroom.

Prosecutors noted that “tens of thousands of members and guests” visited the “active social club” of Mar-a-Lago between the end of Trump’s presidency in January 2021 through the August 2022 search. They argued that “nonetheless” Trump stored documents “in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, and office space, his bedroom, and a storage room.”

The indictment claims that, for a two-month period, some of Trump’s boxes were stored in one of Mar-a-Lago’s gilded ballroom. A picture included in the indictment shows boxes stacked in rows on the ballroom’s stage.

The indictment also shows photographs of boxes that spilled over in the storage room, including a document marked SECRET/REL TO USA, FVEY” which means information releasable only to members of the intelligence alliance of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. In the photo the classified document is redacted.

___

What to know:

— Trump faces a string of inquiries in various states and venues as he campaigns for a return to the White House

— Trump’s case differs from those of other politicians known to have been in possession of classified documents

— Who is Jack Smith, the special counsel probing Trump’s role in the retention of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election?

— In spite of legal woes and a crowded GOP field, Trump has remained Republicans’ frontrunner for 2024

— Does the indictment stand to damage Trump’s standing with voters?

___

LAWYER SAID TRUMP SUGGESTED HE REMOVE DAMAGING DOCUMENTS

The indictment unsealed Friday also says that, unaware of any records being moved, Trump’s attorney on June 2, 2022, identified 38 documents with “classified” markings and placed them in a folder, which he sealed with clear duct tape handed to him by Trump valet Walt Nauta. The valet then took the attorney to see the former president.

“Did you find anything? Is it bad? ... Is it good?” the lawyer said Trump asked.

The attorney told federal authorities that he discussed the folder of classified material with Trump and how the material should be handled. The attorney told authorities that as they discussed the attorney taking the materials with him, Trump gestured in a way that suggested he wanted the attorney to identify “anything really bad” and “you know, pluck it out.” The lawyer clarified that Trump did not articulate such instructions beyond making that “plucking motion.”

The attorney told authorities that he did not take anything out of the folder and that he instead immediately contacted the FBI and another Trump attorney. On June 3, according to the indictment, the second Trump attorney acted as the official custodian of records on Trump’s behalf and turned the material to the FBI.

___

INDICTMENT ALLEGES VALET MOVED BOXES AT TRUMP’S DIRECTION

The indictment alleges that Nauta acted “at Trump’s direction” to move move “approximately 64 boxes” of documents from the Mar-a-Lago storage room to the former president’s residence. Nauta’s actions occurred between May 23, 2022, and June 2, 2022, according to the indictment.

That total includes “approximately 30 boxes” Nauta allegedly moved on June 2, the same day Trump’s legal team was expected to examine the cache. Nauta’s actions that day came hours after he talked briefly via phone with Trump, prosecutors allege. Neither Trump nor Nauta, according to the indictment, disclosed to the former president’s attorneys that Nauta had moved any of the storage room contents.

According to prosecutors’ timeline, Trump met later that day with one of his attorneys and Nauta escorted the attorney to the storage room for his review of the documents.

___

INDICTMENT ALLEGES TRUMP SHOWED DOCUMENTS TO OTHERS

The indictment unsealed Friday outlined two circumstances in which Trump allegedly showed the documents to others.

One occurred in a meeting with a writer at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he described federal officials’ “plan of attack” against him and purportedly acknowledging that he knew the information “is still a secret.”

In a later meeting with a representative from his political action committee, Trump displayed “a classified map related to a military operation,” acknowledging he “should not be showing it to the representative and that the representative should not get too close,” prosecutors said.

In the next paragraph, prosecutors note how Trump, at a press conference while president in 2017, addressed media leaks and said that leaking classified information is “an illegal process” and that people involved “should be ashamed of themselves.”

___

TRUMP FACES 37 FELONY CHARGES

Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents.

An indictment unsealed Friday also alleges that he described a Pentagon “plan of attack” and shared a classified map related to a military operation.

The document marks the Justice Department’s first official confirmation of a criminal case against Trump arising from the retention of hundreds of documents at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago.

Charged alongside with Trump was Walt Nauta, a Trump aide who was seen on surveillance camera removing boxes at Mar-a-Lago.

The indictment accuses Trump of having improperly removed scores of boxes from the White House to take them to Mar-a-Lago, many of them containing classified information.

___

INDICTMENT ALLEGES TRUMP SHARED PENTAGON ‘PLAN OF ATTACK,’ SHARED CLASSIFIED MAP

Trump described a Pentagon “plan of attack” and shared classified map related to a military operation, according to an indictment unsealed Friday.

The document marks the Justice Department’s first official confirmation of a criminal case against Trump arising from the retention of hundreds of documents at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago.

Trump disclosed the existence of the indictment in a Truth Social post Thursday night as well as in a video he recorded.

The indictment accuses Trump of having improperly removed scores of boxes from the White House to take them to Mar-a-Lago, many of them containing classified information.

___

INDICTMENT AGAINST TRUMP MADE PUBLIC

An indictment charging former President Donald Trump with mishandling classified documents has been unsealed.

The document released Friday marks the Justice Department’s first official confirmation of a criminal case against Trump arising from the retention of hundreds of documents at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago.

Trump disclosed the existence of the indictment in a Truth Social post Thursday night as well as in a video he recorded.

People familiar with the matter have told The Associated Press that the indictment includes seven separate charges.

___

BIDEN STAYS MUM ON TRUMP INDICTMENT; PENCE THINKS TRUMP SHOULD STAY IN PRESIDENTIAL RACE

President Joe Biden is steadfastly refusing to comment on Trump’s indictment and says he has not spoken to attorney general Merrick Garland about it, as the White House continues to shy away from the political implications of the case.

Traveling in North Carolina on Friday, Biden said of Garland shortly after the indictment against Trump was unsealed and released to the public, “I have not spoken to him at all. I’m not gonna speak to him.”

The president added, “I have no comment on what happened” and repeated similar replies when pressed.

Trump is the early front-runner in the Republican presidential primary for the right to challenge Biden, who is seeking reelection. At least one of Trump’s rivals, meanwhile, doesn’t think the case should prompt the former president to bow out of the primary race.

Mike Pence, who was Trump’s vice president, was asked by a reporter while campaigning at a diner in Derry, New Hampshire, if Trump should suspend his campaign and replied, “No.”

“I think any consideration of that is premature,” Pence said. “Everyone is innocent until proven guilty in America. I think the former president has a right to make his defense.”

___

TRUMP CHOOSES LAWYER FROM NEW YORK CRIMINAL CASE TO REPRESENT HIM

Trump says he has picked a lawyer from his New York criminal case to represent him in his newly indicted federal classified documents case.

Trump posted Friday on his Truth Social platform that Todd Blanche will lead his defense in the federal case, along with “a firm to be named later,” replacing his previous lawyers, Jim Trusty and John Rowley.

Blanche, a respected white-collar defense lawyer, joined Trump’s legal team just before his New York indictment in March. Before that, he was a partner at the firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. He’s also been a federal prosecutor in New York.

— Michael Sisak



https://news.yahoo.com/live-updates-trump-classified-documents-002833144.html

MY BAD, 37 COUNTS!

The New York Times
Trump Was Recorded Saying He Knew He Had a Classified Document

Maggie Haberman
Fri, June 9, 2023 at 1:35 PM EDT·3 min read


Former President Donald Trump declared at a meeting in July 2021, six months after leaving the White House, that a document in front of him was “classified” and “highly confidential,” according to a person briefed on the matter.

That meeting, with people helping his former chief of staff with a book, has been previously reported, but new details of Trump’s specific comments appear to demonstrate explicitly that he was aware that materials he had taken with him from the White House included classified information. The recording is expected to be a key piece of evidence in the case against him that special counsel Jack Smith brought this week, with seven counts related to his possession of reams of classified material.

Trump also indicated he couldn’t show the document to the people in front of him — many if not all of whom didn’t have security clearances that would allow them to see sensitive government material — and added, “As president, I could have declassified them; now I can’t,” according to the person briefed on the matter, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Trump then said the document was “classified,” and a woman in the room replied, “Now we have a problem,” according to the person familiar with the recording.

Many details of what is said on the recording were reported earlier by CNN, which also first reported on the existence of the recording.

A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to an email about the new information.

The meeting took place in July 2021, by which time, officials at the National Archives had already spent at least two months pressing Trump’s representatives on returning documents they believed he had in his possession.

The transcript demonstrates that Trump was not only aware he had sensitive material but also had it with him at his club at Bedminster, New Jersey, where the meeting took place, and that he knew he no longer had the power to declassify material.

Trump’s meeting was with two people helping Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff, with a memoir about his tenure in the White House. Aides to Trump also attended.

At the time, Gen. Mark Milley, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whom Trump had appointed, had been a subject of multiple media portraits describing him as pressing back against an erratic president in the final months of the presidency.

Trump went on a tear about Milley.

“Isn’t it amazing, I have a big pile of papers,” Trump said at one point. Papers could be heard rustling, and then Trump began appearing to point to a specific document, saying, “Look, this was him.” At another point he said, “This was the Defense Department and him.”

He described something in front of him as “like, highly confidential,” and maintained it was really Milley who wanted to attack Iran (in fact, Milley cautioned against such a move).

At one point, Trump was interrupted, and a woman in the room could be heard on the recording referencing Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state whose email server Trump used as an attack line during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump said Clinton would send material “to Anthony Weiner, that pervert,” referring to the former congressperson who was married to an aide to Clinton.

Trump and his allies have repeatedly asserted that, while still in office, he had declassified all the material he took with him from the White House (though the charges may not rely on whether anything was classified). But his assertion appeared to be undercut by the recording.

“As president, I could have declassified them; now I can’t,” Trump was recorded saying, according to the person familiar with its contents. He then reiterated something was “classified” as he and one of the women in the room talked over each other, according to the person familiar with its contents.

“Isn’t that interesting? It’s so cool,” Trump said, adding, “You probably almost didn’t believe me, but now you believe me.”


https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-recorded-saying-knew-had-173515859.html

Yeah, I noticed that.. Geez,, big difference between 7 and 37... Yikes.. Kinda looks like they have the goods on him this time.

The thing that bothers me about this is that this case is going in front of a judge that Trump appointed. That by itself isn't as bad as it sounds. What makes it bad is that, twice this judge had it before her to stop or hinder this investigation. And she tried. But was overturned on appeal... She was kinda beat on by the court of appeals about her decision. I don't know what that will mean in the end.

I have mixed feelings about the choice of judge.

On one hand, I think any judge appointed by trump would have a conflict of interest and should recuse themselves. Seems like the judge in the Disney case did so for significantly less (something like a 3rd degree relative owned Disney stock or something like that).

On the other hand, if trump were to be convicted, I wouldn't want there to be any excuses.

Why critics are upset that Judge Aileen Cannon will preside over Trump's new criminal trial

Ben Adler·Senior Editor
Fri, June 9, 2023 at 4:07 PM EDT·4 min read

Judge Aileen Cannon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. (Photo-illustration: Yahoo News; photo via Wikicommons)
Former President Trump’s critics groaned when they learned that Judge Aileen Cannon was listed on the summons for Trump’s Tuesday appearance to face charges in federal court.

Cannon, a Trump appointee, made controversial rulings in Trump’s favor during the investigation into his personal possession of classified government documents. Some observers fretted that Cannon would run Trump’s trial in a biased manner.

But some other experts cautioned that Cannon would not necessarily preside over the trial, arguing that she would either recuse herself or be reassigned by a higher court.

Who is Cannon?

Trump nominated Cannon in 2020 to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida — which includes Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., where he kept the documents. Prior to her appointment, she was a federal prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of Florida.

She has been a member of the Federalist Society, an activist network of conservative attorneys and legal scholars, since she was in law school at the University of Michigan.

Why was she chosen to oversee this trial?

Federal trial judges are typically assigned at random, but Cannon was already assigned last year to preside over Trump’s lawsuit demanding a “special master” in an attempt to deny the FBI access to materials it had seized that Trump claimed were subject to executive privilege.

“If the case is being overseen by the same district and magistrate judges, that means the court likely considered the indictment to be ‘related’ to the search warrant and intentionally assigned it to those judges,” former senior Justice Department national security official Brandon Van Grack told ABC News.

“[Cannon’s] rulings on everything from procedural motions to Trump’s planned efforts to have the case thrown out before trial will have vast implications for the course of the case,” ABC News noted.

Why do many distrust her?

Cannon ruled in favor of Trump’s request for a special master — an independent arbiter who would review the documents, many of them classified — much to the consternation of former and current federal prosecutors across the political spectrum.

“Paul Rosenzweig, a former homeland security official in the George W. Bush administration and prosecutor in the independent counsel investigation of Bill Clinton, said it was egregious to block the Justice Department from steps like asking witnesses about government files, many marked as classified, that agents had already reviewed,” the New York Times reported.

“This would seem to me to be a genuinely unprecedented decision by a judge,” Rosenzweig told the Times. “Enjoining the ongoing criminal investigation is simply untenable.”

"The opinion, I think, was wrong," William Barr, who served as attorney general under Trump, told Fox News. "It's deeply flawed in a number of ways."

Even the special master Cannon appointed said he was “perplexed” by Trump’s assertion of executive privilege over classified documents after he had left office.

Cannon’s decision was overturned by a unanimous three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Two of those appellate judges were also appointed by Trump. (The appeals court had already overturned Cannon’s refusal to grant a stay of her ruling while the appeal was pending, another move by Cannon that shocked legal experts.)

What happens next

The Washington Post confirmed with multiple sources that Cannon has been assigned to preside over the case, at least initially.

“Trial judges can affect the timing and shape of cases in many ways,” the Post reported. “They can rule on motions to dismiss counts or the entire indictment, decide what evidence is admitted or excluded, and address a host of other critical questions.”

Cannon’s rulings will be subject to appeal. But the Post cautioned that “such litigation could add months of delays or might have to wait until after trial, dragging out the process to 2025 or longer.”

Some commentators speculate that Cannon will either recuse herself or that the Justice Department will successfully request the appeals court remove her from the trial.

“Although a judge’s behavior in court generally doesn’t form the basis for recusal, the 11th Circuit has ordered ‘reassignment’ where a judge leans so heavily for a defendant they call their objectivity in the eyes of the public into question,” Joyce Alene, a professor at the University of Alabama Law School and a legal analyst for NBC News, wrote on Twitter.

“This is persuasive authority that Judge Cannon must step aside if the case falls to her as a permanent assignment. Her court & certainly the 11th won’t tolerate the damage it would do to their credibility if she failed to voluntarily recuse.”


https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-crit...trumps-new-criminal-trial-200738360.html

Judge Aileen Cannon is going to get another chance to prove that she is capable of making serious judgments concerning the rule of law. I suspect that her fellow conservative judges of the 11th circuit will be watching.


JURISPRUDENCE

Judge Aileen Cannon’s Reign of Madness Is Over

Here’s why the 11th Circuit, including two Trump judges, ruled in favor of the Department of Justice.

BY MARK JOSEPH STERN
SEPT 22, 20223:20 PM

Judge Aileen Cannon suffered a rout on Wednesday night when the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals shredded every aspect of her decision that halted the criminal investigation into Donald Trump. The three-judge panel, which included two fellow Trump nominees, gave the Justice Department a complete victory, identifying multiple grievous errors in Cannon’s reasoning. Technically, the 11th Circuit ruled against Trump, but much of its reasoning reads like a ruling against Cannon herself—a vehement repudiation of her sloppy effort to run interference for the president who appointed her. Most notably, the panel emphasized the most dangerous consequence in Cannon’s decision: In twisting the law for Trump, the decision created a startling and unlawful threat to national security.

Cannon’s decision was so sweeping that this element of the case has been easy to miss. But national security experts like Slate’s Fred Kaplan have been ringing the alarm from the start, pointing out how Cannon’s injunction kneecapped federal law enforcement and potentially jeopardized people’s lives. The reason why is simple: In her first ruling, the judge prohibited the government from “further review and use of any of the materials” seized from Mar-a-Lago “for criminal investigative purposes,” including about 100 classified documents. She added, however, that the government could “continue to review and use the materials seized for purposes of intelligence classification and national security assessments.”

This distinction is utterly impractical, even fantastical. It is impossible to abide by. Here’s the problem: The FBI and Justice Department officials conducting the criminal investigation into Trump are working on the damage assessment, as well. These two tasks have been intertwined from the start. As Norm Eisen and Fred Wertheimer explained in Slate, those officials assessing the damage caused by improper handling of classified materials must communicate with officials considering possible criminal penalties. In some cases, the same individuals will participate in both the damage assessment and the criminal case. These overlapping roles make perfect sense: The criminal case against Trump will rest, in part, on the damage that his behavior inflicted on national security. So by halting the Justice Department’s criminal investigation, Cannon effectively halted its damage assessment, too. Her roadblock has hamstrung the intelligence community’s efforts to determine whether Trump’s illicit seizure of classified documents imperiled the nation’s security by compromising American spies still working undercover.

The Justice Department explained all this to Cannon, who apparently didn’t care enough to change her ruling. Luckily, the 11th Circuit did. It relied heavily on a declaration submitted by Alan E. Kohler, Jr., the Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI. The appeals court credited Kohler’s explanation that “as part of a classification review to assess the existence and extent of damage” to national security, the FBI “needed to access evidence and disseminate it to other intelligence agencies to assess potential harm.” Consider a few of the government’s most pressing concerns: Who accessed the classified material? What portion of it was compromised? Are there any other classified papers still unaccounted for?

These questions are equally relevant to the intelligence community and to the criminal investigators. But as the 11th Circuit pointed out, under Cannon’s ruling, government officials cannot answer them without risking “contempt of court.” The consequence will be a “chilling” of their “national-security duties,” since those responsibilities are “inextricably intertwined” with the criminal investigation.

The 11th Circuit did not spell out how, exactly, Trump’s seizure of classified documents may have harmed the security of the United States. That reticence is understandable, since many key details of the case remain secret. And yet, an unredacted portion of the warrant that authorized the Mar-a-Lago search showed that these records included information provided by spies. Some documents were marked HCS, or Human Intelligence Control System, which indicates that they may contain the identity of undercover informants. This is a problem for more reasons than the obvious: Just last year, the CIA warned that a shocking number of its informants had been arrested and killed by foreign nations. The agency also noted its struggle to recruit new informants. It is hard to imagine that anyone would want to sign up if they knew that a former president could keep documents revealing their identity in an unlocked room at his resort—then persuade a federal judge to prevent the FBI from ascertaining how much danger they’re in because of the president’s negligence.


Here, then, is the chief distinction between Cannon and the two Trump nominees who ruled against her, Andrew Brasher and Britt Grant. All three judges are extraordinarily conservative. All three might even bend the rules to favor Trump. But Brasher and Grant were not willing to fully break the rules, at least when doing so could subvert the U.S. government’s ability to protect itself from foreign threats. Cannon’s conduct places her in a separate class of hard-right judges—you might call them ultra-MAGA—who will do anything to further their political and ideological agenda. There’s an analogy here to the conservative judges who ordered the Navy to deploy unvaccinated SEALs and attempted to keep an insubordinate anti-vaxxer in command of a naval warship. There is no limit to the lunacy these judges will unleash in furtherance of their agenda. And so the somewhat less radical adults in the room must step in. Much like Justice Brett Kavanaugh shot down conservative judges who inserted themselves into the Navy’s chain of command, Brasher and Grant had to stop Cannon from wresting control over the FBI.

If Trump dares appeal the 11th Circuit’s decision to the Supreme Court, he will lose, perhaps unanimously. The appeals court made it abundantly clear that judicial interference in the government’s review of these classified documents crossed the line into lawlessness. Cannon’s wildly disruptive reign of madness is finally drawing to a close.

link

I suspect two things:

1. There will be pressure brought to bear upon Ms. Cannon to recuse herself from this proceeding. The optics she created from her previous rulings in the very investigations that led to these indictments place a very harsh spotlight on not just her, but also the court over which she presides. She will be getting a lot of phone calls in the next few days.

2. After being publicly "Bench-Slapp'd"© 3-0 in her previous rulings in the Donald J. Trump v. United States of America case, I doubt that she has the stomach for a brand new 7-course meal of 'more of the same.' The press and pressure of something this historic is going to be off the scale of anything America has previously measured.

Her reputation/vitae before this appointment was that of a 3rd-tier talent. The legal equivalent of Spurgeon Wynn. One would hope that she's self-aware enough to realize that's she's not ready for this level of prime time. She might jump at the chance to not be in the middle of the circus that's about to break out.



I predict that we'll see a recusal and reassignment before this case comes to trial.


I could be wrong, but that's how things look to me at present.
.02

I am not making light of the charges, but don't get too hung up on the number of charges. DA's like to stack charges to keep getting a crack at basically the same charge.

I hear what your saying. And I agree..,

That's almost the way it has to happen. She has shown a "love" of all things Trump.

The good news is that the appeals court that slapped her rulings down before is made up of 3 judges.. Two of which were appointed by Trump. So in the end, that didn't work out for Trump..

I wonder if she has the stomach for another beat down?

As Jester put it, it's a double edged sword.

Dropping 37 charges on trump isn’t stacking charges. Just a drop in the bucket. He deserves much more than he’s charged with here. And ya’ll know it. Yet he’s still the Goper candidate of choice. smh. Pffft.

Hey man, I am not trying to be political, I am just trying to educate you and tell you how it is. I do know what I am talking about, so take it or leave it.

I pretty much agree with you. I'm not a huge fan of the strategy of prosecutors in general. First off they are elected officials and as such their political future is dependent on getting a very high conviction rate at all costs. Secondly, many times they will bring charges that are far beyond the actual infraction which they know they can't convict someone on. I call that overcharging. The reason for this is that many people simply can't afford to hire an adequate defense attorney for a felony trial and will make a plea deal to much lesser charges out of desperation. They know that and use it as a tool to scare the hell out of people in order to garner that plea deal to add to their conviction rate.

I think it's only fair to be honest about how our system actually works, or does not work as the case may be and realize that isn't so much a political issue as it is a systemic issue.

So do you actually believe that using this trump appointed judge means they will not make excuses? They already know this will be the judge and are making up excuses now anyway. That isn't going to change.

You get it. I might not agree with overchagring...or at least the idea that it can't be defended. Any at least half way decent public attorney can defend against that, and most are at least half way decent. You can't pass the bar exam if you don't have a good understand of the law.


We'll see how it plays out.

You know trump still has classified documents stashed some where.

From my understanding they still haven't located the Iran document which he was recorded discussing at that Bedminster meeting. I'm not 100% sure on the accuracy of that however.............

Exclusive: Trump attorneys haven’t found classified document former president referred to on tape following subpoena

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/02/politics/donald-trump-iran-subpoena/index.html

And I would think you're right that it probably isn't the only one.

j/c

U.S. secrets were everywhere at Trump's club

Former President Trump's indictment paints an astonishing picture: U.S. government secrets — about its nuclear program, military plans, intelligence briefings and more — were stuffed into cardboard boxes at Mar-a-Lago where "tens of thousands" of people might have come across them.

Why it matters: The 49-page indictment details how boxes were kept on a ballroom stage, in an office, a bedroom, a bathroom and even a shower at Trump's club.

It also alleges he tried to hide documents and mislead federal investigators who sought to retrieve them.
"Wouldn't it be better if we just told them we don't have anything here?" Trump allegedly asked one of his attorneys, as they discussed a grand jury subpoena last May.

Zoom in: The 37-count indictment — roundly praised by legal analysts and former prosecutors Friday for its detail — uses photos, interview transcripts and detailed timelines to describe the haphazard ways the documents were moved from one room to another.

Secret documents alongside other papers and news clippings were photographed strewn across the floor of a basement storage room — documents marked "FVEY," for Five Eyes
.
That means they include intelligence meant to be shared only among U.S. officials and those from four close allies — Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Dozens of boxes were shown stacked on a stage in Mar-a-Lago's White and Gold ballroom at one point; some later were moved to a business center and then a bathroom and shower, the indictment said.

With the help of Trump "body man" Walt Nauta — who also was charged in the case — papers that included classified information allegedly were shuffled between a Mar-a-Lago storage room, Trump's residence and even his summer home in Bedminster, N.J.

In Bedminster, the indictment alleges, Trump showed a writer a classified military attack plan and Trump showed a PAC official a classified map involving a country where the U.S. has ongoing military operations.

During that meeting — which was recorded — Trump said he could have declassified the document while he was president, but that "now, I can't."

That recorded acknowledgement could help prosecutors seeking to show that Trump was showing documents that he knew were classified.

By the numbers: After leaving the White House, the indictment says, Trump held on to classified documents created by the departments of State and Defense, the CIA, the NSA, the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and others.

When asked to return them, Trump initially turned over 15 boxes to the National Archives, including 197 classified documents.

30 were marked "top secret"
98 were marked "secret"

The rest were "confidential," except for some that had even higher levels of classifications than "top secret" — some of them meant to be viewed only in a secure setting.

After a grand jury subpoena, another 38 documents were handed over.

When the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago last August, an additional 102 classified documents were found in a storage room and Trump's office.

17 were "top secret"
54 were "secret"
31 were "confidential"

https://www.axios.com/2023/06/10/tr...A8etFfG39eS2lcUTAX3es_F25Q7vSzMAUGlFgp7w

Probably behind Biden's ear. He'll bring them out during the debates as a magic trick... Biden will act like he knew they were there all along.

Oh there will be excuses. A trump appointed judge is just 1 less thing to complain about, and a big one. If there was an obama appointed judge, trumpians would have a field day with that.

Yeah that damned Biden! Told them he found documents. Allowed them to look for additional documents.

I know you're smart enough to know that all of the charges listed in the indictment against trump were for refusing to turn them over, sharing them with people not legally allowed to view them and conspiring to hide them along with things that happened AFTER he refused to turn them over. Had he turned them over in the beginning, none of these charges would apply. But don't allow facts to get in the way of the propaganda.

Nobody but himself or so it would seem.

You're definitely over-estimating my intellect.

It was a joke, you know... with all the classified docs falling out of everyone's a$$ like it's magic?

Carry on.

I've found in life it's much better to be cautious by overestimating someone than to be taken by surprise when underestimating them.

Words to live by, for sure.

‘Devastating': Current and former officials shocked over military secrets found at Mar-a-Lago

The material in the former president’s possession include information on U.S. nuclear programs, according to an indictment.

The unsealed indictment on former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents has current and former national security officials claiming the case is “devastating” against him and that “damage” may have been done to U.S. national security.

Trump is facing 31 counts of violating the Espionage Act through “willful retention” of classified records and six counts related to his alleged effort to obstruct the investigation, according to the 49-page document released Friday. The indictment also alleges that Walt Nauta, a Trump aide during his presidency and now in private life, moved boxes with classified records to obscure them from investigators.

The indictment includes information about the kinds of documents in the former president’s possession, some of them “regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.”

“This is a terrible thing,” said a senior Defense Department official. “If laws were broken, he must be accountable. Must. I think that’s where the majority of reasonable military and national security folks are, regardless of their political leaning.

“But it’s also a terrible thing for the nation to have to see a president go through the federal criminal process,” added the official, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly on a sensitive issue.

The more than 100 documents seized from Trump’s office in a storage room at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida ranged from Confidential to Top Secret. Images released along with the indictment showed stacks of boxes in open areas, with one showing them lining the walls of a bathroom.

Those discoveries led special counsel Jack Smith to issue the first-ever federal indictment of a former president. It’s Trump’s second indictment in three months following charges from the Manhattan district attorney over alleged hush money payments to improve his 2016 election chances.

The latest legal woe for Trump has his former aides fuming. “The indictment is devastating. Those who defended Trump before the charges were made public, or those who have not yet spoken, should very carefully weigh how history will consider their statements,” John Bolton, Trump’s third national security adviser, told POLITICO.

Others are more worried about what it means for the United States to have had such sensitive papers out in the open. “The classified documents described in the indictment are some of the most sensitive information we possess,” said Mick Mulroy, a senior Pentagon official in the Trump administration. “This type of information should never be removed from a secured facility and once discovered should have been immediately returned.”

Mulroy suspects that an intelligence and security review may be conducted alongside the criminal proceedings to discover “any potential damage that may have been done to our national security.”

Trump maintains his innocence, insisting without evidence that President Joe Biden has weaponized the Justice Department to keep him from winning the 2024 election. It’s “the greatest witch hunt of all time,” he told Fox News on Thursday.

Most of Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination have come to his defense, claiming that he has been improperly targeted while other wrongdoers have faced no consequences. While most have attacked the Department of Justice as a corrupt institution, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has already vowed to pardon Trump on his first day as president.

One European official wasn’t overly concerned by the contents. “I’m not that surprised,” the official said. “We learned to expect anything” when it comes to Trump.

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/...lOsRrqpejeqwGIXeMIocY76ZT0PI0Ik0Z82OoLME

I haven't read the indictment, but have seen snippets and other pundits reviews on tv and social media.
I heard that they only went after the counts that were slam dunks. if they wanted to go after a bunch of charges, they could have hit him with a 1,000 plus counts on the documents.
If you look at the picture of the bathroom, on the top right hand corner above the shower curtain, there are boxes stacked above the shower curtain in the shower. I am sure that not every item in every box was govt info or classified info or stuff he shouldn't have taken; but there sure seems like a bunch of stuff.

I think the only thing worse for trump is if they found out that he sold info to others. Then it is treason.
Saw today that the max on all charges (which will never happen, not even close) is 536 years.

I have seen at least 3 repubs and trump calling for differing levels of protest/riot/civil war. I think after the 1,000+ convictions after Jan 6th, you would really be a fool to go to jail for this clown.
Also, Didn't desantis just make it a felony to protest/riot.
Also, didn't trump in going after Hillary make it 5 years to hold classified info?



Trump to speak Saturday as he and allies escalate attacks on law enforcement
Story by Isaac Arnsdorf, Hannah Knowles • 5h ago


© Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post
COLUMBUS, Georgia — Donald Trump, the only former president to ever face criminal charges, will make his first public remarks Saturday since the release of a federal indictment accusing him of mishandling classified information, as he and his allies issue inflammatory calls to action and escalating attacks on law enforcement.


Trump encouraged supporters to assemble on Tuesday in Miami, where he is scheduled to appear in court. “SEE YOU IN MIAMI ON TUESDAY!!!” he posted late Friday on his Truth Social platform. Specific plans for that day are still being developed, according to a Trump campaign aide.

The former president did not elaborate on his message. His social media messages have in the past inspired his supporters to action. On Dec. 19, 2020, he tweeted, “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” Evidence presented by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol showed that Trump’s tweet inspired extremist groups to plan to disrupt the certification of President Biden’s electoral victory. Leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys were later convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Trump’s call on his supporters to protest his indictment in New York did not materialize in major demonstrations.

Advisers said the former president will use his speech on Saturday, appearing before the Georgia state Republican convention, to position himself as a victim and aggressively attack the FBI and the Justice Department for prosecuting him but not President Biden’s son, Hunter, who is under federal investigation on allegations of tax evasion and lying in the purchase of a gun. The campaign’s goal, one adviser said, is to use the indictment to solidify Trump’s political support among his base in coming weeks. The advisers spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe strategy.

From Georgia Trump is set to travel to North Carolina for that state’s GOP convention. He’ll address the gathering of party activists hours after former vice president Mike Pence, who recently entered the 2024 presidential race, challenging his former boss in the GOP primary and arguing Trump is no longer qualified for the presidency.


The Trump campaign almost immediately started soliciting donations as soon as Trump announced on Thursday that he had been notified of the indictment, though a campaign official declined to reveal how much had been raised.

Ahead of Trump’s speech here, Arizona Republican Kari Lake delivered a keynote on Friday in which she suggested Trump’s prosecution could be met with violence. Lake has said she will go to Miami to “support” Trump on Tuesday.

“If you want to get to President Trump, you’re going to have to go through me and you’re going to have to go through 75 million Americans just like me,” Lake told the GOP convention on Friday to roaring cheers and a standing ovation. “Most of us are card-carrying members of the NRA,” the National Rifle Association gun lobby. “That’s not a threat, that’s a public service announcement.”

The Secret Service, federal court marshals and Miami law enforcement have met to discuss security around Trump. Local police are preparing additional officers to deploy, amid the prospect of demonstration and a crush of media descending on the city.

Earlier in the day, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) told convention-goers that Trump’s indictment was meant to distract from House Republicans’ claims that Biden and his son Hunter accepted bribes from a Russian oligarch — allegations that the FBI already concluded investigating without bringing charges.

“I don’t care how you feel about President Trump, you need to understand that what they’re doing to President Trump is exactly what they will do to any one of us when they deem us a threat,” she said. On Saturday Greene announced she was flying to the convention with Trump on his private plane.

Long-shot presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who pledged that if elected he would pardon Trump, also spoke on Friday to decry the charges.

“We are not some banana republic, where the party in power uses the police to arrest its political opponents,” he said at the convention. “We are finally going to end that corrupt administrative police state in America, starting with the FBI.”

Trump picked up another congressional endorsement on Saturday from Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.). “He will help save this nation from the radical left-wing wackos, from the socialists and the corrupt bureaucrats who want to eliminate our country,” Clyde said.

One Republican breaking ranks to call on Trump to withdraw his candidacy was former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson. Speaking to a breakfast here on Saturday, Hutchinson did not mention Trump, a tacit acknowledgment of his audience’s tilt.

The convention was notable for the absence of Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who split with Trump over his demands to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. That pressure campaign is now the subject of a separate criminal probe by an Atlanta-area district attorney.

Though Trump’s team had practice at responding to an indictment from the charges earlier this year in New York, arising from hush money payments to an adult film actress in 2016, and the campaign was expecting charges in the documents case after the former president’s lawyers met with prosecutors on Monday, advisers acknowledged surprise at the level of detail of the evidence against him in Friday’s indictment.

Some Trump supporters here also said they were rethinking their initial dismissiveness of the charges based on the specific allegations. Laurie Webster from Hull, Ga., said she grew more concerned after hearing some of the details on conservative host Erick Erickson’s radio show.

“It sounded worse than what they were saying last night,” she said. “If he runs and is more popular I’m going to vote for him and support him. If not Trump, we need somebody like Trump,” she said, explaining that she’s now deciding between him and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis and other rivals for the GOP presidential nomination have joined Trump in denouncing the alleged “weaponization” of the Justice Department but they’ve steered clear of the specifics of the case or commitments to pardon Trump.

“The weaponization of these agencies strikes at the heart of what it means to have a free society. It’s not just affecting people at the top, it’s affecting people all throughout our country,” DeSantis told the North Carolina GOP Convention on Friday night in Greensboro, repeating his promise to oust the FBI director right away if elected. DeSantis, who runs second to Trump in early primary polling, said presidents have long been “derelict in their duty” to rein in the federal bureaucracy.

Pence similarly accused the Justice Department of years-long “politicization” and told reporters on Friday that he still found officials’ search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate last year “deeply troubling.” Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley made a vague statement on Friday that criticized the prosecution and called to “move beyond the endless drama and distractions.”

The other presidential hopeful who more forcefully criticized Trump was recent entrant Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor and Trump adviser. Christie said blaming the prosecutors is to ignore Trump’s behavior at issue in the case.

“These facts are devastating,” he said in a CNN interview on Friday, drawing on his own experience as a federal prosecutor. “Is this the type of conduct that we want from someone who wants to be president of the United States? … This is irresponsible conduct.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/othe...counts-of-life-at-mar-a-lago/ar-AA1cnozg


Evidence in Trump’s indictment came from inside Mar-a-Lago and those hired for him
Story by Josh Dawsey, Jacqueline Alemany • 5h ago



The 37-count federal indictment of former president Donald Trump unsealed Friday provides a vivid account of Trump’s actions at his homes in South Florida and New Jersey, and is based on information from a coterie of close aides, household staffers and lawyers hired to serve Trump in his post-presidency.

The account from Trump insiders in the 49-page indictment provides a thorough rebuttal to many claims made by Trump about his handling of classified material, including that he may have kept some material by accident or may have considered the material declassified by him.

A secretary — identified in the indictment as “Trump Employee 2” — told prosecutors that Trump himself had been packing and looking through boxes, contrary to assertions from his own lawyers. A young political aide, referred to as “the PAC representative” in the indictment, told prosecutors that Trump showed him a classified map about a military operation in a foreign country and told him to stand back because it was a secret document. At a recent CNN town hall, Trump said he did not remember doing such a thing.

Key parts of the indictment are based on one of his lawyer’s detailed notes about Trump’s wishing to obstruct justice by not responding to a subpoena — contradicting the 45th president’s claims that he was always cooperative with the Justice Department and the National Archives and Records Administration. And Trump’s valet was indicted alongside him, after prosecutors obtained the aide’s text messages and accused him of lying about moving boxes at Trump’s request.


© Tom Brenner for The Washington Post
Over a lengthy investigation, special counsel Jack Smith and his team interviewed dozens of Trump’s staffers, including his secretary, groundskeepers and political aides. The interviews gave Smith a close-up look at how Trump had structured his unorthodox post-presidential life — and made Trump and his advisers deeply angry and uncomfortable, according to people familiar with the matter, who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive topics or the ongoing criminal investigation.

Trump never spoke to prosecutors in the case, but his actions, idiosyncrasies and thoughts were relayed in documents and text messages provided by staffers. Many accounts were provided reluctantly under subpoena, people familiar with those exchanges have said. Other aides’ phones were seized, giving prosecutors access to texts, photos and more.

Security video footage also was taken from Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida home and private club, showing the movements of boxes after prosecutors sent a subpoena demanding the return of documents marked classified. Photos in the indictment show Trump’s bathroom, complete with a dangling chandelier, where he stored dozens of boxes of documents. Additional photos show other places where documents were stored, including his ballroom and a storage room.

Phone records detailed calls between Trump and his valet that coincided with boxes being moved.

Read the full text of the indictment of Donald Trump and Walt Nauta
Some of the most compelling testimony comes from people who were hired to help Trump.

Evan Corcoran, a lawyer brought onto Trump’s staff in 2022, is the person described as “Attorney 1” in the indictment, according to a person familiar with the situation. Corcoran, a Maryland lawyer, was a former U.S. attorney who represented Trump ally Stephen K. Bannon in the past and was introduced to Trump by Trump’s longtime aide and legal adviser Boris Epshteyn.

Corcoran fought vigorously against testifying in court, citing attorney-client privilege, but was compelled by a judge, who said prosecutors were entitled to Corcoran’s notes and recollections about conversations with Trump because the exchanges may have taken place in furtherance of a criminal act — in this case, withholding documents and deceiving the government.

His testimony rattled Trump.

Through his own lawyer, Corcoran declined to comment.

On the day Trump’s attorneys returned documents to the Justice Department in response to the grand jury subpoena, Trump told Corcoran to search through the material in a folder and indicated that he should remove any problematic documents before handing the folder over, the indictment alleges.

Corcoran provided a detailed summary of Trump’s comments that indicate he was looking to avoid returning documents. In Corcoran’s telling, Trump was determined to keep the boxes even though he knew he had received a grand jury subpoena.

“I really don’t want anybody looking through my boxes, I really don’t, I don’t want you looking through my boxes,” he said, according to Corcoran.

He allegedly also said: “Well, what if we, what happens if we just don’t respond at all or don’t play ball with them?” and “Wouldn’t it be better if we just told them we don’t have anything there?”


Information prosecutors appear to have obtained from Corcoran also indicates that Trump repeatedly claimed that a lawyer for Hillary Clinton, his 2016 presidential rival, had taken the blame for Clinton’s misuse of emails, and he allegedly said the lawyer’s willingness to do so was a trait he admired.

Another key aide, described in the indictment as “Trump Employee 2,” matches information confirmed to The Washington Post about former Trump executive assistant Molly Michael. Michael and a lawyer representing her did not respond to requests for comment.

Michael sat outside Trump’s office, connected his calls, kept his schedule and often translated his moods to visitors and other Trump advisers. She was deeply involved in all aspects of his life, Trump advisers said, until she left his employ last year. Michael was rattled by the extensive attention from federal authorities conducting the investigation, people familiar with the situation have said.

In sweeping indictment, Trump accused of lying, scheming to keep secret U.S. info
Michael provided text messages and photos to federal investigators, the indictment shows, and kept close tabs on Trump’s packing of boxes himself — contrary to the claims made by some of his lawyers.

“Box answer will be wrenched out of him by tomorrow,” Michael said in a text message to Alex Cannon, a Trump lawyer trying to get him to return materials to the Archives. Cannon is referred to in the indictment as a “Trump Representative,” according to a person familiar with the situation. He declined to comment.

At another time, Michael updates another Trump aide on the former president’s efforts to sort through boxes and is said in the indictment to help Trump valet Walt Nauta move boxes. Her text messages appear frequently throughout the indictment, often in exchanges with Nauta.

Nauta was charged alongside Trump, but Michael was not, and people familiar with the matter have said she cooperated with the Justice Department. Nauta, on the other hand, is accused of lying during the investigation.

As Trump tried to avoid complying with a May 11, 2022, subpoena that required him to produce all documents with classification markings that were in his possession, Nauta was the person he relied on to help conceal the boxes he wanted to keep, the indictment alleges.


In the time between the issuing of the subpoena and Trump’s attorney’s review of boxes in the storage room on June 2, 2022, to find documents being sought, Nauta moved approximately 64 boxes to Trump’s residence at Trump’s request, according to the indictment.

The indictment shows the valet’s movements — along with phone calls he received from Trump.

On the afternoon of May 22, 2022, it says, Nauta entered the storage room and emerged 34 minutes later carrying one of Trump’s boxes. On May 24, 2022, “between 5:30 p.m. and 5:38 p.m., Nauta removed three boxes from the Storage Room” at Trump’s direction, the indictment reads.

A few days passed, and on May 30, 2022, after a 30-second phone call with Trump, Nauta removed 50 boxes from the storage room, according to the indictment. Later that day, a member of Trump’s family texted Nauta that the person had seen that he put boxes in Trump’s room.

“I think he wanted to pick from them,” Nauta wrote to the “Trump family member” in a text message obtained by prosecutors. The indictment does not identify the family member, but it would be a woman who has access to Trump’s private quarters at Mar-a-Lago.

“He told me to put them in the room and he was going to talk to you about them,” Nauta writes, after the “family member” says there will not be room for the boxes to go on the plane to Trump’s home in Bedminster, N.J., because the aircraft will be “full with luggage.”


On June 1, 2022, at 12:52 p.m., Nauta visited the storage room once again and removed 11 boxes, the indictment says.

Nauta made one more trip before Trump’s attorney arrived on June 2, 2022, to review the boxes in the storage room. After Trump and Nauta spoke on the phone at 9:29 a.m. that day, according to the indictment, Nauta, along with another club employee, moved 30 boxes from Trump’s residence back to the storage room.

The government alleges that Nauta lied in an interview with the FBI about moving boxes.

“Are you aware of any boxes being brought to his home — his suite?” the FBI agent asks.

Nauta responds decisively: “No.”

A lawyer for Nauta did not respond to a request for comment.

In two other instances in the indictment, unidentified Trump aides witness the former president’s mishandling of classified information. At Bedminster in 2021, the indictment says, Trump showed a picture of a classified map related to a military operation of another country to an unidentified aide working for his political action committee.

Trump “told the PAC representative that he should not be showing the map to the PAC representative and to not get too close,” the indictment says.

A recording mentioned in the indictment describes a different meeting at Bedminster during which the former president talks about knowing a document related to Iran is classified. “See as president I could have declassified it,” he says to an unidentified staffer.

“Now I can’t you know,” he says.

“Now we have a problem,” the unknown staffer says.

“Isn’t that interesting?” Trump responds.

There is a real possibility that there were more than use 31 classified documents but they were not included in the indictment because they were an embarrassment to government to say. Yeah, Trump took that home and it was found on the stage.

Bro- that pic of the ballroom stage was the kind of stuff you only used to see on SNL.

I've seen a lot of crazy stuff on the news over the years, but this one truly set a new bar.

"I'm sorry, Mr. & Mrs. Magabucks... the Mar-a-Lago Grand Ballroom will not be available for Karyn & Skylar's wedding reception. There was a scheduling SNAFU with the contractors, and the fork lifts couldn't clear the stage area in time for your blessed event. We suggest as a suitable alternative, a reception in the Champaign Lounge..."


O
M
G


Dude- boxes of classified US Gov documents, mixed in with personal, family s#-
stored in a shower stall! A bathroom!

...and people still rise to defend this weird, strange person- and the weird, strange things he says.
And does.

I just don't get it.
I really don't.

It is beyond two bubbles off plumb.

This is the same guy who signed the law into order for security of government documents. The guy who went after Hilary's emails.

Of t he 37 charges, is there any that stand out to you as overcharging?

Biden Biden Biden…lol. The trump brigade and their jokes. Pfft

This is a political forum, everything is political here. I know how it is as well. I know what I’m talking about. They dropped 37 charges on this thief for 37 separate crimes. Are you saying he shouldn’t be charged with some of his crimes? Let’s go through them one by one. And since you are trying to educate me…lol..try and do it please. Instead of blabbering and commenting or complaining on how they stacked a bunch of charges on a traitorous lying thug who deserves to be sitting in jail with the rest of his misguided insurrectionists. And still he’s the goper candidate of choice. Pffft.

Trump vows to stay in the race even if convicted

Donald Trump vowed Saturday to continue running for president even if he were to be convicted as part of the 37-count federal felony indictment that was issued against him this week.

“I’ll never leave,” Trump said in an interview aboard his plane. “Look, if I would have left, I would have left prior to the original race in 2016. That was a rough one. In theory that was not doable.”

Trump is not legally prohibited from running for president from prison or as a convicted felon. But such a bid would nevertheless provide a massive stress test for the country’s political and legal systems.

The former president leveled harsh criticisms at special counsel Jack Smith and argued that the case against him was politically motivated and flimsy. “These are thugs and degenerates who are after me,” he said.

Trump predicted he would not be convicted and said he did not anticipate taking a plea deal, though he left open the possibility of doing so “where they pay me some damages.”

He sidestepped the possibility that he would pardon himself should he win the presidency in 2024. “I don’t think I'll ever have to,” Trump said. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

While Trump said campaign fundraising had skyrocketed since the indictment was issued, he conceded it was an unwelcome development.

“Nobody wants to be indicted,” said Trump. “I don’t care that my poll numbers went up by a lot. I don’t want to be indicted. I’ve never been indicted. I went through my whole life, now I get indicted every two months. It’s been political.”

He repeatedly invoked the Presidential Records Act to assert he’d done nothing wrong, a vigorously disputed interpretation of law that Trump has offered before.

Trump’s remarks came as he flew between speeches to Republicans in Georgia and North Carolina. The trip came one day after Smith unsealed a 37-count indictment against Trump, including accusations of violating the Espionage Act, retention of classified documents and obstruction of justice. Trump is set to appear in court Tuesday in Miami.

Trump’s personal valet, Waltine Nauta, was also charged. Nauta was seen traveling with Trump on Saturday, and the aide followed Trump out of his SUV upon arriving at the Newark, N.J., Airport en route to Georgia.

Trump is also facing an indictment in New York, stemming from allegations that he concealed hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. He is also under investigation in Georgia over his efforts to pressure officials to overturn the state’s 2020 vote count. Smith is also investigating Trump’s role in instigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

What role the most recent indictment will play in the GOP presidential primary is not yet clear, though following the New York indictment the former president saw a boost in his poll numbers and fundraising support as Republican voters rallied around him.

Trump’s campaign is looking to replicate the performance, with his team sending out appeals to supporters in hopes of generating small-dollar contributions.

All day Saturday, there were signs that Trump’s staunchest backers were unmoved by the news. Supporters lined the side of the highway running parallel to the runway at the airport in Columbus, Ga., many waving flags and standing atop trucks to get a view of the “Trump”-emblazoned jet touching down. Upon deplaning, he was greeted by a group of supporters on the tarmac, some holding “witch hunt” signs.

At the Georgia state party convention, the crowd was filled with people wearing “Make America Great Again” hats, and some audience members called out “We love you” while the former president was speaking.

Shortly after, Trump made a pit stop at a Waffle House restaurant where he was mobbed by diehard fans — one of whom offered to give the meatloaf-loving ex-president a copy of her mother’s recipe. Then Trump headed to the airport, where he posed for pictures with police officers.

In an indication of the hold Trump maintains over the congressional wing of his party, the former president was joined on the trail by North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson, a Trump backer who oversees the House GOP campaign arm. Trump was also joined by Marjorie Taylor Greene, a firebrand Georgia congresswoman and loyal ally.

But the classified documents case — and the detailed, 49-page indictment that came with it — is widely seen as far more serious than the New York one, and the former president’s adversaries are hoping that his legal problems will distract him from the campaign.

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-vows-stay-race-even-221720425.html

No surprise here. The "I'll never leave" statement is a little concerning but also predictable for a wanna be dictator.

Ahh the Presidential Records Act! Trump acknowledges the PRA.. Refers to it all the time. He is clearly aware it exists.

Here it is:

Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978

The Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978, 44 U.S.C. ß2201-2209, governs the official records of Presidents and Vice Presidents that were created or received after January 20, 1981 (i.e., beginning with the Reagan Administration). The PRA changed the legal ownership of the official records of the President from private to public, and established a new statutory structure under which Presidents, and subsequently NARA, must manage the records of their Administrations. The PRA was amended in 2014, which established several new provisions.

Specifically, the PRA:

Establishes public ownership of all Presidential records and defines the term Presidential records.

Requires that Vice-Presidential records be treated in the same way as Presidential records.

Places the responsibility for the custody and management of incumbent Presidential records with the President.

Requires that the President and his staff take all practical steps to file personal records separately from Presidential records.

Allows the incumbent President to dispose of records that no longer have administrative, historical, informational, or evidentiary value, once the views of the Archivist of the United States on the proposed disposal have been obtained in writing.

Establishes in law that any incumbent Presidential records (whether textual or electronic) held on courtesy storage by the Archivist remain in the exclusive legal custody of the President and that any request or order for access to such records must be made to
the President, not NARA.

Establishes that Presidential records automatically transfer into the legal custody of the Archivist as soon as the President leaves office.

Establishes a process by which the President may restrict and the public may obtain access to these records after the President leaves office; specifically, the PRA allows for public access to Presidential records through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
beginning five years after the end of the Administration, but allows the President to invoke as many as six specific restrictions to public access for up to twelve years.
Codifies the process by which former and incumbent Presidents conduct reviews for executive privilege prior to public release of records by NARA (which had formerly been governed by Executive order 13489).

Establishes procedures for Congress, courts, and subsequent Administrations to obtain “special access” to records from NARA that remain closed to the public, following a privilege review period by the former and incumbent Presidents; the procedures governing
such special access requests continue to be governed by the relevant provisions of E.O. 13489.

Establishes preservation requirements for official business conducted using non-official electronic messaging accounts: any individual creating Presidential records must not use non-official electronic messaging accounts unless that individual copies an official
account as the message is created or forwards a complete copy of the record to an official messaging account. (A similar provision in the Federal Records Act applies to federal agencies.)

Prevents an individual who has been convicted of a crime related to the review, retention, removal, or destruction of records from being given access to any original records.


----------------------------------------------------------------------

For me, it's clear he didn't follow the rules.

That last rule would be interesting if he gets reelected.

Fact check explores presidential authority to declassify

More than two months after FBI agents seized boxes of materials at former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence, known as Mar-a-Lago, the federal investigation continues amid conflicting legal interpretations of a president’s authority to declassify sensitive information.

Trump added to the confusion when he said in an interview with Fox personality Sean Hannity, “There doesn’t have to be a process, as I understand it. ... If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified. Even by thinking about it.”

Most national security legal experts dismissed the former president’s suggestion that he could declassify documents simply by thinking about it. But as an ABA Legal Fact Check posted Oct. 17 explains, legal guidelines support his contention that presidents have broad authority to formally declassify most documents that are not statutorily protected, while they are in office.

The system of classifying national security documents is largely a bureaucratic process used by the federal government to control how executive branch officials handle information, whose release could cause the country harm. The government has, however, prosecuted cases for both mistaken and deliberate mishandling of information. Under the U.S. Constitution, the president as commander in chief is given broad powers to classify and declassify such information, often through use of executive orders.

Some secrets, such as information related to nuclear weapons, are handled separately under a specific statutory scheme that Congress has adopted under the Atomic Energy Act. Those secrets cannot be automatically declassified by the president alone and require, by law, extensive consultation with executive branch agencies.

In all cases, however, a formal procedure is required so governmental agencies know with certainty what has been declassified and decisions memorialized. A federal appeals court in a 2020 Freedom of Information Act case, New York Times v. CIA, underscored that point: “Declassification cannot occur unless designated officials follow specified procedures,” the court said.

As the new ABA Legal Fact Check notes, the extent of a president’s legal authority to unilaterally declassify materials — without following formal procedures — has yet to be challenged in court.

https://www.americanbar.org/news/ab...22/10/fact-check-presidential-authority/

I guess we will now see it challenged in court. But to claim there wasn't a known procedure in place to declassify such documents is patently false.

JMHO, he CAN'T be reelected- WHY? Even with all the idiots supporting him there are more Democrats than Republicans, AND we Independents aren't stupid enough to vote for a felon....if the Republican Party puts him up as their candidate- guaranteed loss.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. The consistent hate he and other politicians in his party spew and making himself out to be a victim has shown to be a very powerful weapon. And let's face it, Biden is a terrible second option.

Barr: Presenting Trump as victim after indictment is ‘ridiculous’

Former Attorney General Bill Barr said Sunday that presenting former President Trump as a victim of a “witch hunt” is “ridiculous” in reaction to the narrative presented by most in the GOP that the charges are politically motivated.

“It’s a very detailed indictment. And it’s very, very damning,” Barr told Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday. “And this idea of presenting Trump as a victim here, a victim of a witch hunt is ridiculous.”

“Yes, he’s been a victim in the past. Yes, his adversaries have obsessively pursued him with phony claims, and I’ve been at his side defending against them when he is a victim,” he added. “But this is much different. He’s not a victim here.”

The Justice Department charged Trump in a damning 37-count indictment last week over his handling of classified materials after leaving the White House. Evidence collected by the Justice Department revealed that the former president possessed documents containing nuclear and military secrets. The charges Trump faces hold several decades of prison time.

Barr, who was appointed by and served as an attorney general under Trump, has been critical of the former president’s handling of classified documents. He said last week that the investigation was not a “witch hunt,” noting that the probe would not have gone anywhere if the former president just turned over the documents.

Barr said Sunday that the government acted responsiblly in looking into Trump’s handling of classified material, adding that it was Trump who “acted irresponsibly.”

“He was totally wrong that he had the right to have those documents,” he said. “Those documents are among the most sensitive secrets that the country has.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/404445...-CwZp5CtPULgPhmL74WywF3axtj9EWgiFMm7MePk

Sweet sweet irony.

This whole debacle is a terrible waste of tax payer dollars. He’s so guilty, they should skip the trial and go straight to the firing squad.

I was going thru some of the Sunday morning shows and a couple things rang out

Very little from the right about the charges; mostly Hillary, the laptop, Biden crime family-but almost nothing about trumps actions, other than gym jordan saying trump already declassified everything and it is a hit job.

I also saw that expect to see additional info come out-it was an pretty detailed indictment, but they definitely didn't show all their cards. And there may be others charged.
And, when trump goes back and lies saying I never said that-the DOJ already has the goods.

Somebody also said this morning that they could have charged him on more counts, but the info would not be able to admissible into court-because it is even more top secret than the stuff they revealed and they don't want our top secrets out in public disclosure.

They also guessed that in the last couple years, there may have been over 10,000 guests/visitors into Mar-a-largo with almost no oversight. Guests had almost free reign of the place other than the family residence.

Also, the attack plans for Iran that trump was showing are missing.

Also, I saw Michael Cohen and he said at some point if they can't find more docs, expect Bedminster to be searched, trump towers, the kids houses.

If they want ALL of the docs Trump took back in the archives, they may need to make an investigative/military trip to Russia and Saudi Arabia.

No, OCD this is not how this country works. He is afforded the right under the constitution to a fair and speedy trial.

And if it is true and provable in court, just what is on the indictment, he damn well should never be able to run and see if he can pull another Jan 6 to win the White House and pardon himself and he should be in jail for the rest of his years.

Using some lame disclaimer that what she's saying isn't a threat is straight from the trumpian playbook. And here it is out of her own mouth.....



And to show just how much of a lie it is for those on the fringe that still listen to her, the NRA has roughly 4.3 million members currently which is actually a ten year low.

So either her math skills are less than a third graders or she's telling an obvious lie because nowhere in math is 4.3 million most of 75 million.

Murica!

As if I didn’t know this… smh. I just wanted to give house republicans another opportunity to cut useless spending.

ok, didn't know whether this was in jest.

You can count on gym jordan starting a handful of inquiries into DOJ or the FBI or hunters laptop.

and gym better read up on his law books; it is against the law to interfere into an active investigation.

Also, I was reading thru a review on lawfare blog. They think there still may be other indictments-in Washington, DC or New Jersey-because crimes happened in multiple locations

It’s all in jest at this point. Nothing I can say will fix stupid, idiotic, or nuts…

I didn't say overcharging. I said count stacking.

I haven't read all the charges, nor plan to do so.

Stacking is when you might have 2-3-4 counts(or whatever) that are basically over the same question of the law. Did he break the law or not? If you are going to be found guilty or innocent on one, you are probably going to be found guilty or innocent on all of them.

The point of law being debated is should he have had the documents or not? It isn't the same as him having murdered 1 person v 10 people. Killing 1 person doesn't automatically make you guilty of killing 9 more.

Again, I am not taking a position on the matter. I am just saying don't let the fact there are 37 counts make it seem more serious. I hope that clears things up a bit.

But it is serious right? If this was Joe Smoe who was accused of the same thing - and found guilty - they'd be looking at a prison sentence - right? And by Joe Smoe I mean anyone in the Govt at any level. Then lying about it to investigators is serious. Then having employees try to hide and move the materials being searched/asked for is serious - right? I think it was this case that he then tried to have a lawyer write a false statement about it... ?

Someone mentioned Biden - Biden had documents he was (apparently) un-aware of. Once known he handed everything over, co-operated fully. IS that different than Trump? I mean maybe we should clarify that so we are all on the same page.

I wish I could find the pic I saw the other day... It was of Hilary wearing a baseball hat that said "but her emails"! Cracked me up.

My bad, I think I read someone elses post and transfered it to you... My Bad.. Sorry

I'm not a lawyer but I think I know the difference between right and wrong.. Most Times.

I don't see how it's possible for it to be right for him to have those documents.. The way they were stored in bathrooms, on a stage, in bathtub showers.. That seems shaky.

Some reporter on the left said that this would have been nothing if he'd done what Pence and Biden did when confronted with Docs found in their homes. They didn't squabble or fight or hide it. They both admitted to having them, that it was an error and that proper folks should come and get them. If Trump would have done that, this wouldn't even be and issue and I tend to agree with that.

For me it's a sign of a criminal mind acting out.

37 different charges for 37 different crimes is not stacking charges. You should read them before lighting up on the amount these charges. But no you just blabbered out for us not to get hung up on the amount of charges without reading them yourself. Another passive defense of a proven thief, rapist, insurrectionist, and soon a proven traitor. Typical.

Not directly pointing at you peen, but I’ll never understand how anybody in their right mind can’t condemn him. But will passively support this pile of human waste.

And yet the Goper response is still whatabout Biden, Biden Biden, Hillary, Bill, And Hunter ..and nothing to see here with trump.

MAYBE.

Has President Biden turned over the documents. It's my understanding they are still in discussions and conditions.? There are also 1800 boxes at the college which is refusing to turn over documents.

I am not trying to turn this in to a "what about". I just haven't seen anything to support your claim.

Which seems to be an odd thing for you to be discussing since you have no idea of the actual charges against him.


Actually had you have bothered to read the indictment you would find that the charges involve his refusal to turn them over. His continuing to claim he no longer had said documents. His refusal to honor a subpoena, shifting them from location to location while they weren't secured and showing the documents to those not allowed to view them among other things. It's about his admission on tape that he did not declassify them before he left the White House and now lacks the authority to do so. So no, a former president does not have the right to have such documents but that isn't what he's being charged with.

And no, Biden isn't negotiating with anyone to keep any documents. That was trump when he was refusing to honor the subpoena and turn them over. He kept on doing it for so long they had to file for a search warrant to get them. And again no, the National archives is who has the right to have those documents. Once again trump knew he had them and said "I don't want anyone going through my boxes".

Maybe a synopsis would help.

General citizens (including ex Presidents) cannot retain classified documents. Trump had in his possession 102 classified documents.

31 of the counts are for willful possession of classified materials. The willful item is noteworthy, as it is different than inadvertent (see Biden/Pence). Some of the materials involve nuclear issues. Contrary to public statements made by Trump, those cannot be declassified by saying so.

6 of the charges involve obstruction for impeding the return of classified material to the government. Since the lawyer noted that he called them my boxes, or my documents, that demonstrated willful possession. The government alleges a conspiracy, withholding of documents, corruptly withholding of documents, corruptly concealing documents (the document shuffle), concealing a document under federal investigation (the FBI subpoena), scheming to conceal (the discussion with lawyers and Nauta), and false representations and certifications to the government (the affidavit signed by Christina Bobb).

Now, one of the questions that I have and would like answered is "where were each of the documents found" I see it differently if they were kept in a single locked location versus intermingled with all the presidential records, but suspect that they were intermingled.

I don't know why the 71 other documents were charged, but suspect that they would have been disputed as being relevant, or subsequently declassified, or too sensitive to put in the indictment.

It is also noteworthy that the charges have nothing to do with the Presidential Records Act. Only the willful retention of classified materials. That is the core of the dispute, and the governments efforts to get the documents returned in a timely manner.

Actually I don't care or see how it makes any difference "where they were found" when there's photographic evidence they had been shuffled around to many, totally insecure locations at Mia Largo while they were in his possession in an effort to keep the documents from being found.

I am interested to hear from the one or two posters we have on DawgTalkers who know the protocols for top secret and confidential documents. I think we have at least 2 people involved with such documents (now or in the past) through work.

How big of a deal is this? How shocking are the photos and details that we know? My assumption is that the "Left" media is probably sensationalizing this (although to be honest my bias lends me to think this is sensational) - and I have no doubt the Right Wing media and Trump sycophants are downplaying this as a political prosecution.... would love to hear from a neutral.

Hell - Barr who was a former Trump sycophant and enabler has indicated this is a big deal. Of course like Mueller and other die-hard republicans who have spoken out vs Trump, no doubt Barr will get branded a traitor and a Democrat plant soon.

You know they will. Hell, they've already done that to the FBI and Christopher Wray is the head of the FBI. He was appointed to that position by trump.

That much is pretty obvious. As an observation, If I were Jack Smith, I would have stated so in the indictment. e.g. Trump did not retain classified documents in a method that was secured. If you recall there was the issue of putting a lock on the storage room door. Obviously, documents on the stage were not secure, the bathroom, it depends where it was located.

I'm sure those photos will be evidence in the case. But I think it will be presented more as backing up the fact they kept moving them around to prevent trump's lawyers from finding them and turning them over to the government. That's where the Nauta indictments come into play. This is part of an article that describes that.......

Are you referring to this baseless trumpian claim?

Fact check: Trump’s baseless ‘1,850 boxes’ attacks on Biden’s legal and normal University of Delaware documents collection

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/09/poli...-boxes-university-of-delaware/index.html

Come on man.

And while I'm quite sure you are far more well versed in terms of the law than I am, here is how John Bolton describes the actual indictment against trump. He says the charges are narrowly tailored and that in fact they didn't just throw everything up against the wall...........

John Bolton: Trump indictment ‘devastating’

Former national security adviser John Bolton said the federal charges brought against former President Trump last week are “devastating,” adding the indictment should result in the end of Trump’s political career.

“This is a devastating indictment,” Bolton, who served under Trump, said Monday on CNN. “I speak here as an alumnus of the Justice Department myself, because not only is it powerful, it’s very narrowly tailored. They didn’t throw everything up against the wall to see what would stick that this really is a rifle shot. And I think it’s, it should be the end of Donald Trump’s political career.”

The Justice Department last week unveiled an indictment brought against the former president. It includes 37 counts of federal charges in connection with his handling of classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.

The indictment details how the former president allegedly sought to keep the classified documents from federal investigators, shared them with people without security clearances and improperly stored them.

Bolton said Trump may have taken the documents because he “may have just thought were cool.” He said he would have to see what was in the documents to answer the question of why Trump may have taken them.

He also suggested that while Trump will not push for a fast trial, he hopes the Justice Department will.

“I hoped the Justice Department really does try for a speedy trial, because frankly, the sooner it goes to a jury, and we find out their answer, whatever, whatever that answer is going to be the better for the country,” Bolton said. “Justice delayed, as they say, is justice denied, and the court should not let Donald Trump get the kind of delay I suspect he wants.”

Bolton on Friday also called on Trump to end his campaign for a second White House term, saying if the former president wanted what was best for the country, he would step aside.

“Donald Trump should immediately withdraw as a candidate for president,” Bolton tweeted. “Criminal charges are piling up around him. If Trump truly stood for America First policies, he would support the rule of law instead of continually flouting it. Withdraw now!”

https://thehill.com/homenews/campai...BPAV6g88tuf5Wr_fE6KM5V_Atomq0SIzTKYawFig

You should go read the indictment, otherwise your flailing (and failing) around with insufficient information.

I get it, the republican talking points are witch hunt, weaponization of DOJ, it's political (even though Trump was a politician), election interference, Biden's fault, etc. etc.

But no one in the GOP will touch the content of the indictment, because on the facts, it is solid. In the old days, you would hear words like "serious threat to national security"

It the new GOP rules apply are Snowden and Assange now heroes?

It is impractical to have a speedy trial when 2 of the lawyers either quit, resigned or were fired Friday.

I would like to know which one applies.

Finding a trial lawyer with a Top Secret clearance willing to defend Trump is going to be a challenge. His track record does him no favors.

So trump is on tape saying he didn’t declassify the documents and people still defending this crap.

Conservatives wouldn’t let their own kids get away with lying this much, yet this grown ass billionaire has them believing everything he says, licking his boots and shining his toilets. Crazy

I'm retired military, it is a HUGE deal to military, intelligence community, homeland security---huge, I was flabbergasted to see TOP SECRET/SCI covers----IF, and JMHO, he did have that type intel laying around his home- unbelievable- military service members are in Leavenworth Ks prison for less. He's a complete ass. And needs to go to jail.

Once you shine that turd, keeping it shiny becomes a must.

I would also suggest that the President and any of his staff that have security clearances have undergone formal training on the handling of classified documents and that there would be evidence of the training that would be offered as an exhibit. Probably a sign off page as well.

Amen, there is NO WAY he wasn't educated.....he just doesn't give a [censored] about ANYTHING- his business "successes", his marriages, his constant lies as President and ex- President-- how do folks forget about Mexico will pay for wall, the wall is finished, on and on....and our foreign policies decisions- while stated he wanted allies to pay their fair share- great, but he completely undermined NATO- an institution which for 70 years has prevented a nuke war--- his understanding of nukes is "let's nuke a hurricane"....damn, how dumb is that.....we desperately need new, younger leadership in both parties- and as a Floridian- Desantis isn't the answer-- wish Cheney was running and winning.

In my words Trump is a BS artist, and will try and talk himself out of any pickle that he gets himself into.

This is by far the biggest pickle that he has gotten himself into. A typical government employee would be in jail awaiting trial.

I heard from Smerconish that "80 percent of Republicans think that trump should still be President even if convicted according to a CBS poll"... Try wrapping your brain around that fact.

That "shooting someone in 5th avenue" comment is absolutely true.

Good to see you posting. I was a little concerned by your absence.

The rule of law seems to be not very important to the republican party as it once was supposed to be.

The hypocrisy of politicians is astounding. Hillary's emails vs trump stealing national secrets.

The truth doesn't have a chance.

trump is a career felon.

As this article explains, the docs were seized from Bidens house. (seized materials don't need turned over... they got them) Further, the FBI searched his home at Bidens and his lawyers request. Nothing hidden.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/21/us/politics/biden-documents.html

The 1850 boxes is another matter altogether.

https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-biden-trump-delaware-1850-boxes-446929353071

Once again, it's misrepresented by Trump and other Republican leaders.

Worse part of that is that it's easy to find the truth... All you have to do is look for it. The question is, will you read what I've posted? I mean, I doubt it since you won't read the indictment. Why is that by the way?

On another matter, I hear that Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden are starting a Pizza Shop in DC? Wonder what that's about? Perhaps John Durham should investigate.. He did such a great job on the RUSSIA RUSSIA probe and I hear he's available.

Stacking charges? Peen is right on that some 31 of the charges are for individual highly classified papers. BUT they could have easily added over another hundred with around two hundred papers that I know of from reading the reports. So it’s definitely not stacking charges, and the original count of 7 included one as a category for those papers. It looks to me like they brought only what they know they had him dead to rights on with a slam dunk prosecution. They have something like 99.97% conviction rate on this type of case. Trump is toast evidence wise.

By the time 2024 campaigning season begins trump will have been indicted four times.

His future will be wearing an ankle bracelet and home confinement.

Which is a shame because he is most deserving of spending the rest of his ruined life behind bars.

If he went to prison the secret service would have to go with him. So, he will die like Michael Corleone alone in his mansion.

Good see you as well bro! I was kinda here, just I like conversations verbally more so I hopped on some panels and such. Plus I had a lot of moving parts going on. Just got the new crib, doing all kinds of crap (still) to modernize/update it, selling the townhome and getting the dungeo… I mean man-cave ready!!

Well will see. Up until this point, he’s been Teflon don.

What to know about Trump’s court appearance

Donald Trump will appear in a federal courthouse in Miami Tuesday afternoon for an unprecedented and historic court appearance as the first former president to face federal charges in US history.

Trump is expected to be taken into custody and placed under arrest by US Marshals and arraigned during a 3 p.m. ET court hearing before a magistrate judge. He’s expected to plead not guilty to the charges.

Special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump in a 37-count indictment last week, alleging that the former president mishandled classified documents brought to his Mar-a-Lago resort and engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct justice. Trump’s aide, Walt Nauta, was also charged in the indictment and is expected to appear in court alongside the former president.

Trump was indicted in March by the Manhattan district attorney’s office on charges related to hush money payments to an adult film star, but Smith’s indictment marks the first federal charges against a former president.

The court proceedings are largely going to be routine, but the circumstances surrounding the indictment are anything but – and law enforcement is making preparations for large protests outside the courthouse in Miami. Trump is expected to speak Tuesday evening once he returns to his Bedminster, New Jersey, resort.

Here’s what to know about Tuesday’s court appearance:
What happens when Trump gets to the courthouse?

Once inside the building, Trump will be placed under arrest and processed. Deputy US Marshals are expected to take Trump’s fingerprints electronically but are not expected to take a mugshot of the former president.

Then Trump and his attorneys will appear before Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman for his arraignment and initial appearance. The magistrate judge will confirm with Trump that he understands his rights under the Sixth Amendment, including his right to a speedy trial.

Trump’s attorneys will likely waive a formal reading of the indictment, and the former president is expected to enter a plea of not guilty to all 37 charges.

Federal prosecutors are expected to ask the magistrate judge to limit Trump’s communications with any potential witness to guard against possible witness tampering. Trump will likely be released pending trial on personal recognizance.

Personal recognizance is a no-cost bond, which would not be a financial provision ensuring future appearances. Instead, the defendants are taken at their word they will return to court for future proceedings.

Future hearings will be held before Judge Alieen Cannon, who has been assigned to the criminal case going forward, and a preliminary hearing before Cannon could be scheduled during this initial appearance.

Unlike his arraignment in New York, it’s possible Trump won’t be seen entering or leaving the Miami courthouse Tuesday. Former Miami chief of police Jorge Colina told CNN Monday that the courthouse has an underground garage that Trump’s motorcade is likely to use.
Who’s on Trump’s legal team?

Trump’s legal team is still in flux after a significant shake-up last week that saw two of his attorneys, Jim Trusty and John Rowley, resign following news of the indictment.

Attorneys Todd Blanche and Chris Kise are expected to represent Trump in court Tuesday afternoon for his arraignment, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN. Trump also needs a lawyer who is admitted to practice law in the southern district of Florida for the arraignment. Some lawyers on his team already fit this bill.

Although Trump spent most of Monday attempting to add another attorney to his team, nothing was finalized. Last week, Trump’s allies had expected a new attorney like Benedict Kuehne would be with them. For now, it’s Blanche, Kise and potentially Boris Epshteyn who will be in attendance.

CNN reported that Trump’s team has had difficulty retaining seasoned lawyers. Trump spent the day before his arraignment in Miami speaking with potential candidates, as he is privately pushing for his legal team to take a more aggressive stance against the Justice Department, sources told CNN.

Nauta is expected to appear with his attorney, Stanley Woodward, who is funded by Trump’s Save America PAC.
Who’s on the special counsel team?

Trump isn’t alone in beefing up his legal team with lawyers who have southern Florida experience. Smith has at least two prosecutors from the Miami US attorney’s office on his team.

One of them is Karen Gilbert, a seasoned Miami prosecutor who supervised the Mar-a-Lago national security case involving a Chinese national who trespassed at the Trump property. Gilbert also was part of the team that helped prepare for the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago last August as part of the classified documents investigation.

The special counsel’s team determined in recent months that they would bring the case in Florida instead of Washington, DC, where they initially used a grand jury to gather evidence, people briefed on the matter told CNN.

The complications over the venue made clear that prosecutors would have to bring any charges in the district based in Miami, which also includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, the people said.
Who is Trump’s co-defendant?

Nauta is a Navy veteran who was a valet in the Trump White House and later became Trump’s executive assistant and personal aide. He was charged with six counts in the special counsel’s indictment. The charges include several obstruction and concealment related charges.

On Monday, Nauta traveled with Trump from New Jersey to Florida and had dinner with the former president.

According to the indictment, Nauta – allegedly following directions from Trump – moved boxes out of a storage room that was supposed to be searched by a Trump attorney in response to a subpoena and only moved some of the boxes back before the search.

Prosecutors alleged that Nauta made false statements to investigators that he didn’t know how boxes had arrived at Mar-a-Lago and whether they were secured.
What is the security situation?

Security agencies and local law enforcement have held multiple meetings in the lead-up to Trump’s appearance Tuesday, organizing the security in and around the building. Law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Miami Police Department continue to monitor any threats on social media.

As of Monday afternoon, the only visible security in place was law enforcement security tape, some plastic barriers and officers patrolling the area.

Miami Chief of Police Manuel Morales told reporters Monday that the department was working closely with local law enforcement and federal agencies in preparation for Tuesday and would have enough resources to handle crowd sizes of 5,000 to 50,000 people.

On Tuesday, the Federal Protective Service – part of DHS – will oversee the protection of the courthouse building, while the US Marshals Service will be in charge of protecting people in the building. The US Secret Service will oversee the protection of the former president.
What is Trump doing after his court appearance?

The former president is set to return to his Bedminster, New Jersey, resort following his court appearance Tuesday.

While Trump is not expected to speak publicly while in Miami, his campaign announced he will deliver a statement at 8:15pm ET from his Bedminster golf club.

Trump took the same approach following his arraignment in New York in April. Following that court appearance, he flew back to Mar-a-Lago and delivered a speech in front of supporters that night.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/13/politics/trump-court-appearance-what-to-watch/index.html

Arrest #2.

GOP rep accuses DOJ of setting trap to imprison Trump supporters: ‘They want J6 again’

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) has accused the Justice Department of setting a trap to imprison supporters of former President Trump, who has called for protests in response to his latest indictment over allegedly mishandling classified documents.

Trump arrived in Florida on Monday, ahead of his arraignment Tuesday in Miami, where thousands of protesters are expected to turn out Tuesday.

Higgins cast the case as a threat to America, but he urged fellow Trump supporters not to “fall for the trap,” drawing a parallel to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which has seen hundreds of federal prosecutions of those involved.

“My fellow conservatives, the DOJ/FBI doesn’t expect to imprison Trump, they expect to imprison you. They want J6 again, in Miami and in your city and in mine. They want MAGA conservatives to react to this perimeter probe and in doing so, set yourselves up for targeted persecution and further entrapment,” Higgins said in a Sunday release from his office.

“They want to intercept a busload of conservatives en route to protest and create conflicts during the stop. They are hoping to provoke conservative Americans. Don’t fall for the trap,” the Louisiana lawmaker said, adding “don’t become an incarcerated pawn in the agenda driven DOJ/FBI strategy to oppress conservatives across America.”

Trump, who is running for president again in 2024, was indicted last week on 37 counts in connection with the alleged mishandling of classified records at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and is set to appear in court to be arraigned at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Florida.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R) said during a press conference Monday that the city is prepared to handle any protests and demonstrations that may occur but warned of possible “disruption” to traffic patterns surrounding the former president’s high-profile appearance.

The latest development in the former president’s legal woes has fueled GOP claims that the federal government has been weaponized by President Biden and Democrats, a sentiment echoed by Higgins in his statement Sunday.

Higgins’s warning, which he ends by saying “We the People must fight against oppression legally, peacefully, and within the parameters of our Constitution,” comes after one of his tweets last week drew some scrutiny and added to concerns about a violent response to the indictment.

“This is a perimeter probe from the oppressors,” Higgins wrote in response to Trump announcing that he had been indicted. “Hold. rPOTUS has this. Buckle up. 1/50K know your bridges. Rock steady calm. That is all.”

He followed the tweet up with another post urging “Let Trump handle Trump, he’s got this. We use the Constitution as our only weapon. Peace. Hold.”

Higgins made headlines last month over a video of the congressman manhandling an activist at a press conference in front of the Capitol.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/...Vo2TVt1IzjLdHX3hEwaRwDXW-BPYBn34B7xzuZw4

Murica!

Half of G.O.P. Voters Ready to Leave Trump Behind, Poll Finds



https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/12/us/politics/trump-approval-polling-2024.html

Fact check: Debunking Trump’s blizzard of dishonesty about his federal indictment

Former President Donald Trump has responded to his federal indictment the way he has responded to various other crises – with a blizzard of dishonesty.

In posts on his social media platform and in Saturday speeches in Georgia and North Carolina, Trump made numerous false or misleading claims about his handling of classified documents, the FBI’s conduct in the related investigation, the Presidential Records Act, his dealings with the federal government prior to the search of his Mar-a-Lago club and residence, and President Joe Biden’s own handling of documents.

Here is a fact check of 10 of the indictment-related claims Trump has made since the 37 federal charges against him were unsealed on Friday.

A toppled box at Mar-a-Lago

In his speech in Georgia on Saturday, Trump mentioned a photo that was included in the indictment. The photo, which was taken at Mar-a-Lago, shows a toppled box from which papers had spilled out onto the floor.

Trump said: “I looked – it looked so orderly and nice. Somehow somebody turned over one of the boxes. Did you see that? I said, ‘I wonder who did that? Did the FBI do that?’”

Facts First: The suggestion that it’s even possible that the FBI might have turned over this box is nonsense. According to the indictment, the photo was taken in December 2021 by Trump aide and accused co-conspirator Walt Nauta, who the indictment says texted the photo to another Trump employee with the words “I opened the door and found this…” The FBI did not execute its search warrant at Mar-a-Lago until August 2022, eight months later, so it could not possibly have done the toppling.
The contents of the toppled box

In a Friday social media post, Trump also claimed that the photo of the toppled box did not show any “documents” at all: “The Box on the floor which was opened (who opened it?) clearly shows there was no ‘documents,’ but rather newspapers, personal pictures, etc. WITCH HUNT!” He said in the speech in Georgia: “But the box that was turned over – it had newspapers, it had pictures, it had clippings, it had all sorts of things. Nobody saw any documents there.”

Facts First: Trump’s claim that nobody saw any “documents” in the photo of the toppled box is false. While the photo does show newspapers and pictures among the materials that had spilled onto the Mar-a-Lago floor, the photo also clearly shows other unidentified papers in the pile – one of which prosecutors allege was classified and labeled with markings making clear it was releasable only to the members of an intelligence alliance composed of the US and four other countries.

The indictment says prosecutors redacted the “visible classified information” from the photo. While the indictment did not explicitly say which of the pieces of paper shown in the photo was the classified document, it is possible that it is the document with a dark rectangular bar, a common redaction method, across the top of the page.

It is theoretically possible that Trump himself did not see this document amid the mess depicted in the photo. But it’s not true that “nobody” saw any documents.
The charges against Trump

In the Georgia speech, Trump said of the 37 federal charges on which he was indicted in the documents case: “They take one charge, and they turn it into 36 charges. You saw that. Everybody was amazed. Lawyers on television … they’re not usually the best lawyers, but some are very good – they say, ‘We’ve never seen anything like it; they took one charge, and they made it 36 different times.’”

Facts First: These Trump remarks are both false and misleading. They are false because it’s not true that Trump was hit with the same “one charge” 36 times. Of the 37 charges in the federal indictment, 31 are for allegedly violating the same statute, against “willful retention of national defense information,” but each charge is for allegedly retaining a different classified document. The six other offenses are different: conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and making false statements and representations. And Trump’s remarks are misleading because, while it’s not clear what he may have heard a lawyer say on television, it is normal, not unprecedented, for defendants to face a separate charge for each classified document they are accused of illegally retaining.

Brandon Van Grack, a national security lawyer and former Justice Department official who previously worked on the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, said in a Sunday email that it is “very common” for people accused of unlawfully retaining multiple documents to face multiple counts. He noted, for example, that the 2017 indictment of former National Security Agency contractor Harold Martin “had twenty different counts for twenty different classified documents.”

It’s worth noting that Trump could have conceivably faced far more than 31 charges for willfully retaining national defense information; the indictment says 102 documents with classification markings were found during the August 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago, 38 other such documents were returned by Trump in June 2022 in response to a subpoena, and 197 more were returned by Trump in January 2022 “after months of demands” from the National Archives and Records Administration. As is also standard, prosecutors used their discretion to file charges over only some of the documents.
Trump’s dealings with the National Archives and Records Administration

In the Georgia speech, Trump made this claim: “As a former president, we were negotiating with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), just as every other president has done, and the next thing I knew, Mar-a-Lago was raided by gun-toting FBI agents.”

Facts First: These claims, too, are false in one way and highly misleading in another. It’s not true that Trump was negotiating “just as every other president has done”; no other ex-president since the Presidential Records Act took effect with President Ronald Reagan’s records in the 1980s has engaged in anything like Trump’s protracted post-presidency refusal to return official documents sought by NARA – which the Presidential Records Act requires to be in NARA’s custody and control the moment a president leaves office.

And Trump’s narrative about what transpired with the federal effort to get the documents back – that he was supposedly conducting standard negotiations with NARA and then, all of a sudden, his resort was raided by the FBI – is highly misleading because it omits numerous critical facts. The court-approved search of Mar-a-Lago did not occur until more than a year after NARA first began seeking the return of records from Trump. The former president didn’t mention that he failed to return all the records, not only when he was repeatedly asked by NARA but even when he was served with a Justice Department subpoena in May 2022.
Trump and the Presidential Records Act

Trump claimed in North Carolina that he had abided by the Presidential Records Act: “And we had a great – we had a wonderful operation, everything by the Presidential Records Act.”

Facts First: This is false. The Presidential Records Act says that all presidential records belong to the federal government the moment the president leaves office. By having official records at Mar-a-Lago after his presidency, Trump was in clear contravention of the law.

The key sentence from the Presidential Records Act is unequivocal: “Upon the conclusion of a President’s term of office, or if a President serves consecutive terms upon the conclusion of the last term, the Archivist of the United States shall assume responsibility for the custody, control, and preservation of, and access to, the Presidential records of that President.”

Jason R. Baron, former director of litigation at NARA, said in a Sunday email: “Under the Presidential Records Act, not a single document pertaining to the official business of the White House – classified or unclassified – should have been carted off to Mar-A-Lago. President Trump might consider such records to be ‘his,’ but they are not.”
A previous photo from the investigation

After baselessly musing in the Georgia speech about whether the FBI had been responsible for toppling the box seen in the indictment photo, Trump also made a claim about a different photo that federal prosecutors had included in a court filing in August. That photo showed multiple papers with classification markings spread out on a Mar-a-Lago floor.

Trump said of the FBI: “Because they also did something where they put documents all over the floor. So they took pictures. And they tried to pretend like I did it. And then they had to apologize – they did it.”

Facts First: It is not true that the FBI or Justice Department “had to apologize” for the photo they included in the August court filing. They did not apologize at all. It is standard procedure, as The New York Times and Insider reported at the time, for investigators to lay out and photograph evidence they have discovered after executing a search warrant.

It is true that some observers who saw the photo in the August court filing initially believed that it showed how the FBI had found the documents rather than merely how the agency had laid them out on the floor. However, the FBI and Justice Department never falsely described the photo. The court filing said that the photo showed certain documents and cover sheets that had been “recovered from a container” in a Trump office, not that the documents had been found on the floor – and, regardless, no apology ever came despite Trump’s repeated complaints at the time.
The documents found at Mar-a-Lago

In a social media post on Friday, Trump returned to his familiar claim that the FBI likely planted evidence amid the material found at Mar-a-Lago.

“When the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago, they wouldn’t let my lawyers or representatives anywhere near them. They wouldn’t tell us what they took. Knowing them, and based on past performance, they probably later ‘stuffed’ in other documents,” he wrote.

Facts First: Neither Trump nor any of his allies has provided one iota of evidence that anyone planted anything at Mar-a-Lago or amid the items seized at Mar-a-Lago. Despite Trump’s own claims, the former president’s legal team has never argued in a court filing that the FBI planted evidence – even when the legal team was given an explicit opportunity to do so after the FBI released an official inventory listing what it had found. And it is routine, not suspicious, for searches to be conducted without outside witnesses such as lawyers being in the room; lawyers for the person under investigation don’t have a right to watch.

Before an appeals court shut down a special master review of the seized items in late 2022, Trump’s lawyers had resisted the special master’s requirement that they state in a sworn court declaration whether they believed the official inventory included items that were not actually seized from Mar-a-Lago – in other words, if they believed phony items were inserted into the evidence. A judge then ruled that they didn’t have to make this declaration.
Biden and the indictment

Trump claimed in in North Carolina: “You’re watching Joe Biden try to jail his leading political opponent. Think of it – this is like third world country stuff.”

Facts First: This claim is not supported by any evidence. There is no sign that Biden has been involved in the decision to criminally investigate or prosecute Trump; ordinary citizens on a Florida grand jury voted to indict Trump, and the prosecution is led by a special counsel, Jack Smith. Smith was appointed in November 2022 by Attorney General Merrick Garland, a Biden appointee, but that is clearly not proof that Biden was involved in the prosecution effort.

Biden said Friday that he had not spoken to Garland on the subject and was “not going to speak with him.”
Biden’s Senate records

As he did repeatedly in the weeks prior to the indictment, Trump used the Georgia speech to attack Biden’s own handling of official documents – and to repeat, without explanation, that Biden has “1,850 boxes.”

“Think of it: 1,850 boxes. Mine is peanuts,” Trump said.

Facts First: Trump’s comparison is highly misleading. The approximately 1,850 boxes that Biden legally and properly donated in 2012 to the University of Delaware are a collection of records from his 36 years in the US Senate. Unlike presidents, whose official records are property of the federal government under the Presidential Records Act, senators own their offices’ records and can do whatever they want with them – donate them to colleges, keep them at their homes, give them to journalists, even throw them in the trash.

In addition, there is no current evidence that these boxes of Biden documents contain any classified documents; Biden consented to two FBI searches at the university that did not initially appear to turn up any documents with classified markings, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN’s Paula Reid in February, though the papers were still being analyzed at the time.

Margaret Kwoka, a law professor at The Ohio State University and an expert on information law, said in a Friday email that “any comparison between congressional records and presidential records is an apples-to-oranges comparison. The legal requirements are entirely different between the two.”

You can read a longer fact check here about the repository of Senate documents at the University of Delaware.
Biden’s cooperation with investigators

Trump tried once more to turn the tables on Biden, who is himself under an ongoing special counsel investigation for his handling of classified documents. In the Georgia speech, Trump said, “He’s got boxes all over the place, he doesn’t know what the hell to do with them, and he’s fighting them on the boxes. He doesn’t want to give the boxes.” Later in the speech, Trump said Biden “has so many classified documents,” but “he’s trying to prevent them from seeing it – that’s obstruction. But we didn’t do any obstruction.”

Facts First: This is false. There is no evidence that Biden is “fighting” federal investigators or that he has committed “obstruction.” Biden has consented to FBI searches at the University of Delaware (where, again, the “boxes” Trump keeps invoking are stored), his two Delaware homes, and his former think tank office in Washington. Biden’s team has also promptly handed over classified documents to federal authorities upon themselves discovering such documents at properties used by Biden – unlike Trump, who fought and then allegedly obstructed efforts from NARA and the Justice Department to secure the return of classified documents from him.

This was not a one-time overstatement by Trump. He has repeatedly and falsely accused Biden of committing obstruction and of refusing to allow anyone to see the boxes at the university.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/13/politics/fact-check-trump-federal-documents-indictment/index.html

We can see where the falsehoods posted in this thread came from. Straight out of trump's mouth. How much more will it take until they stop believing him?

The problem becomes when you split the remaining half of Republican votes between a multitude of other candidates running for the 2024 presidential nomination, trump still wins.

I don't know what you saw, but "the Donald" asked his minions to demonstrate outside the courthouse.....DUH!!! I saw maybe 50 folks.....MAYBE people are finally understanding what a "...." they are backing- four letter word with either a S or T.....prison time coming. Many key Republicans spewing "double standard"...no mug shot, immediately flies off to NJ....normal citizen, right!!! Military members would have been in jail awaiting trial years ago.

There is another thought I heard brought up about why so few charges and that's perhaps because they wanted as few of the documents viewed publicaly as possible. Thus cutting the hundreds down to 31.

I said that yesterday. 102 documents 31 charges, some documents really really classified.

It could be because other agencies did not want the fact that Donald threw them in a box and took the home to Mar-A-Lago to sit on a stage, be known to our friends as well and enemies.

He took the good stuff... you know the really interesting stuff that should have been locked up.

I have no doubt that Trump will win the nomination.. He's the leading candidate and will remain so no matter what. The question is, who will be the last person standing that comes in second?

Yup, I agree..100%

0% chance Trump wins.

Republicans are over him.

Yes because vegas is notorious for being so very wrong.....


https://www.oddschecker.com/us/poli...ntial-election-2024/republican-candidate

How many years are we gonna hear this same tired lie?

Pence's comments on the topic.

Cracks in Trump support wall---Rep. Ken Buck has also said he would not back Trump if he is convicted.

"Let's just look at Donald Trump's words in 2016. He said that Hillary Clinton was unfit for the White House because of the way she handled classified information," he said. "I think his words have set the standard that America will look at in determining whether he is fit for president."

He should be toast, maybe he will be.....time will tell. Reality- he can't beat anyone with his baggage.

“This is secret information. Look, look at this”.

Y’all know how rappers get arrested for self snitching on themselves in music or social media?

It’s this bad. Hilariously, pathetically, bad.

Yeah, it's odd how Pence claimed that "nobody is above the law", goes on to say how egregious the things trump did were, then states that trump shouldn't be indicted for what he did. Very odd. Even his words about trump will have his day in court. How can he have his day in court if, as Pence suggests, he never gets indicted for what he has done?

j/c:

Most of you guys will like this, now available:

Pence is a wet piece of Wonderbread.

With a drizzle of Mayo on it.

More like dry ass generic WHITE bread from the discount state… er store.

Stale bread has more structure/spine than Pence. Hence my comparison to a wet piece of bread. Soft. Structureless/spineless. Unable to hold up under its own weight.

Dry is his entire persona. Cringy religious overtones with nothing of substance below. I didn’t like Pence before he was given the VP nod. My cousin who passed with covid was a die hard Indiana Pence supporter. Before Trump, he wanted Pence to be POTUS. That would be an express ticket to hand maid’s tale dystopia.

Pence has the backbone of a jellyfish…

how else is he supposed to bend over backwards to serve as trump's human meat shield?

He stopped trumps grand plan and stood up for the constitution. Thats more than I can say for the majority of republicans.

In general I'm a fan of any prosecutor that roots out people who are a national security risk and have shared top secret documents with people not qualified to see them. And it's a stroke of genius when they have an audio tape of the suspect admitting it. Sounds like a slam dunk case.

I'm already tired of hearing about Trump. I swear, the world hinges on this guy. I'm so over it already.

Ditto, and Amen. He speaks of classifying and declassifying, shares IMPORTANT national secrets- he's toast.

Interesting how Republicans demean the former VP- Trump selected. JMHO, he's national hero, he stopped a coup.

Anyone stating it wasn't a coup attempt is deranged- why have alternate state electors, why storm the Capital, why assert the election was stolen EVEN YEARS later. Trump and supporters had their day in court- LOST.

Anyone supporting a criminal is UnAmerican at the core- the political party of law and order has become the opposite.

Trump loyalists circle the wagons

Former President Trump's allies in Congress have begun furiously pulling on every lever available to ensure his enemies — from federal prosecutors to President Biden himself — pay a price for his historic indictment.

Why it matters: Republicans have little recourse for saving Trump from the federal justice system to which he's now beholden. Instead, they're embarking on a political revenge campaign in a bid to prove their loyalty to Trump and muddy the waters in the court of public opinion.

Driving the news: House GOP leadership backed a resolution — which ultimately failed on the floor — that would have censured Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and fined him $16 million for his investigations into Trump's ties to Russia as former chair of the Intelligence Committee.

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is demanding information from the Justice Department about the scope of special counsel Jack Smith's classified documents probe and the FBI's execution of a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has backed the push for "accountability," claiming — misleadingly — that DOJ has held Trump to a different standard than Biden when it comes to classified documents.

Zoom in: The power of the purse is the most meaningful tool House Republicans have to exact revenge on the Justice Department and FBI.

Jordan is urging his staff to work with the Appropriations Committee to include policy riders in any budget bill that could slash DOJ or FBI funding.
McCarthy has signaled support for using the appropriations process to eliminate funding for the FBI's new headquarters, which Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told Axios is a "fairly obvious" step.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has proposed defunding the special counsel's office, while other Republicans have called for using the "Holman Rule" to cut the salary of top FBI officials.

In the Senate, where Republicans have otherwise been more hesitant to defend Trump than their House counterparts, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) has vowed to hold up all of Biden's DOJ nominees in response to the indictment.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) took to the Senate floor Monday and alleged an FBI informant was told there are audio recordings supporting the unproven bribery allegations involving the Bidens and Ukraine.

Grassley and House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) have acknowledged they don't know if the alleged tapes are legitimate, but that hasn't stopped Republicans from ramping up their Biden corruption allegations as a direct response to Trump's indictment.

The other side: House Oversight ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said the GOP's multi-pronged assault was "basically authoritarian strategy."

"Authoritarians don't accept the rule of law as it applies to them. And so, if their cult leader is being investigated, then they have to attack the government, prosecutors, and investigators. And that's their entire strategy," he told Axios.

What's next: The fight is only just getting started, as new signs emerge that both DOJ and Georgia prosecutors could bring more charges related to Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) baselessly called Smith "a known Trump hater," telling Axios "this is just the beginning" of Republicans' investigations and "defund" efforts.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned the GOP will view it as a "major outrage" if Smith indicts Trump over Jan. 6, claiming "you could convict any Republican of anything in Washington, D.C."

https://www.axios.com/2023/06/14/tr...o42_M_t_IrQNBD9-Xb7SRjarmQVzyZ_mZx2ra0Q4

"I am your justice...I am your retribution." - Donald Trump

He doesn't need to be. He already has people doing that for him. It's rather odd that this is what certain people actually want in their president. But the fact that they do is so obvious.

And for 5 years previous to that day, he was Trumps hand puppet. Had he stood up to trump during the adminstrations time and also on J6, I might have to consider voting for him... He did not do that.. He's a Milquetoast

Trump Ignored Lawyers Trying To Get Him Out Of Classified Documents Mess: Report

Former President Donald Trump repeatedly rejected his attorneys’ attempts to see him return classified documents and minimize the legal fallout after he absconded to his private club in Florida with the sensitive material when he left the White House in 2021, according to a report by The Washington Post.

The Post, citing seven advisers to the former president, said Trump was extraordinarily stubborn when it came to negotiating with government officials. When one of his attorneys, Christopher Kise, suggested meeting with the Justice Department to negotiate a settlement that could avoid charges, Trump reportedly rejected that plan. Instead, he listened to the advice of Tom Fitton, the president of the conservative group Judicial Watch, who told him he could keep the documents and that he should fight Justice Department efforts to see them returned.

The effort was one of many by Trump’s lawyers and advisers to see him cooperate with investigators, entreaties that ultimately failed. Trump was arraigned Tuesday on 37 charges linked to the classified files and allegations by federal prosecutors that he obstructed the government’s efforts to collect them.

He surrendered himself to Miami authorities and entered a plea of not guilty to all charges. Media outlets have reported on Fitton’s closeness to Trump, but the latest report sheds new light on his legal team’s attempts to see him avoid an indictment.

The Post reported that Trump would regularly cite Fitton to his advisers as the fight with investigators continued, and the man often asserted to the former president’s attorneys that Trump could keep the documents. Several of those advisers told the Post that they blame Fitton for convincing Trump he had the right to keep the classified files.

Some advisers added that the FBI and National Archives’ insistence that Trump return the government documents only made him want to keep them more.

Fitton told the Post he didn’t understand “any” of the indictment, saying he believed the charges leveled against the former president were a “trap.” He added that Trump’s lawyers should have been more aggressive in fighting the subpoenas issued by the government.

“They had no business asking for the records … and they’ve manufactured an obstruction charge out of that,” Fitton told the newspaper. “There are core constitutional issues that the indictment avoids, and the obstruction charge seems weak to me.”

Trump and his allies have continued to cite the 1978 Presidential Records Act as justification for his keeping of the classified material, with the former president saying repeatedly he had the absolute right to take anything he wanted from the White House. But the law specifically states that any materials created or received by the president or his staff while carrying out official duties belong to the government.

“The PRA changed the legal ownership of the official records of the President from private to public, and established a new statutory structure under which Presidents, and subsequently NARA, must manage the records of their Administrations,” the National Archives and Records Administration says on its website.

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-ignored-lawyers-trying-him-044221334.html

Bottomline- Trump's statement- they are mine.....another lie. The American people own all of it AND our secrets at every level should be available to those who need to know.

I agree.

Let me guess. Eventually trump will blame Fitton for everything.

In the latest trump disinformation and and false claims now comes "The Clinton sock drawer" defense.

FACT FOCUS: Trump twists Presidential Records Act, Clinton ‘sock drawer’ case to mount defense

To hear former President Donald Trump tell it, taking and withholding classified documents was perfectly consistent with federal law and a decade-old legal case involving former President Bill Clinton.

“Under the Presidential Records Act — which is civil, not criminal — I had every right to have these documents,” Trump claimed in a speech Tuesday night, hours after he pleaded not guilty to dozens of felony counts accusing him of hoarding classified documents and refusing government demands to give them back. “The crucial legal precedent is laid out in the most important case ever on this subject, known as the Clinton socks case.”

But legal experts say Trump’s description of the law — which isn’t mentioned in the charges against him — is wrong and contrary to its very purpose, while the 2012 legal case involving Clinton isn’t a sound comparison to Trump’s current legal predicament.

Here are the facts.

CLAIM: The Presidential Records Act gives a president the right to take any record when leaving office and declare them personal.

THE FACTS: That’s a flagrant misreading of the law, legal experts say.

The law, which took effect in 1981, requires the preservation of White House documents as property of the U.S. government.

Jason R. Baron, a former director of litigation at the National Archives and Records Administration, said that the notion that a president could declare any record as personal goes against the “very reason” the law was created. NARA is the federal record-keeper and the agency that repeatedly sought the documents kept by Trump.

Congress passed the act in 1978 in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, when a collection of secret tapes that President Richard Nixon had considered destroying played a defining role.

The law, he and other experts note, clearly distinguishes between “presidential records” and “personal records.”

“The definition of ‘personal records’ is narrow, clear, and functional: it includes only records of a ‘purely private or nonpublic character’,” Peter Margulies, a professor at Roger Williams University’s School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island, wrote in an email. “Any record that touches on information relevant to presidential decisions on foreign policy or national security is a presidential record. Period, end of story.”

Josh Chafetz, a professor at Georgetown Law, agreed, saying there’s “simply no way” the records described in the indictment against Trump could be considered “personal” under the act’s definitions.

Among the documents found at Mar-a-Lago were ones marked “SECRET” or “TOP SECRET.” The documents included details about the country’s nuclear weapons and the nuclear capabilities and military activities of other countries. Prosecutors allege, for example, that Trump showed off a classified map of a foreign country while discussing a military operation.

“There is no way to read that statutory language as giving the president ‘discretion’ to categorize military plans, to take just one example, as ‘personal’,” Chafetz wrote in an email.

CLAIM: A case involving Bill Clinton keeping audio tapes in a sock drawer proves that Trump’s actions were legally sound.

THE FACTS: The case in question involved very different documents and experts say it isn’t the parallel Trump makes it out to be.

In Judicial Watch vs. NARA, a conservative activist group sued for access to audio recordings of wide ranging interviews Clinton did with historian Taylor Branch during his time in the White House. Clinton was reported to have stashed the cassettes in his sock drawer.

The Washington, D.C. based organization had argued the audiotapes were “presidential records” that the agency should provide under the federal public records law, but U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ultimately dismissed the case, ruling NARA didn’t have the authority to seize the records from Clinton and hand them over.

David Super, another professor at Georgetown Law, argues the 2012 Clinton case has “absolutely nothing to do with” the charges Trump currently faces.

For one thing, the court didn’t dismiss the case because it found that Clinton was entitled to keep the tapes, Super said. Jackson simply ruled that NARA could not turn over the tapes as public records because they were owned by the historian and not government property.

Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign didn’t respond to an email seeking comment, but the Republican and his allies have argued that the judge’s ruling in the case showed that the Presidential Records Act affords presidents complete discretion to delineate between personal and presidential records.

Legal experts this week also dismissed those arguments. Margulies, of Roger Williams University, said the claim “mixes apples and oranges.”

“The Clinton materials were audiotapes of conversations with an historian that incidentally recorded some calls on official business,” he wrote. “In contrast, the documents that Trump kept were all presidential records from the moment they arrived at the Oval Office from other parts of the government.”

Eric Freedman, a professor at Hofstra University’s School of Law in Hempstead, New York, also noted that a federal appeals court has already rejected similar arguments raised by Trump’s legal team as it sought to block the criminal investigation into the records found at Mar-a-Lago.

In either case, Super said, any discussion about the Presidential Records Act is “largely a red herring” because Trump doesn’t face charges of violating that law.

The indictment instead charges Trump with Espionage Act violations, as prosecutors argue the documents he kept could harm the country if obtained by adversaries.

This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-in...rds-act-1df64502d1640076690fac52638daebf

This is how you know desperation is setting in.

Trump still thinks he's getting all of those documents back or he's lying. I'd say the odds are about 50/50 on that........

Trump Still Thinks He’s Getting Those Boxes Back

Former President Donald Trump descended upon Truth Social on Thursday evening to largely reiterate his talking points from his Tuesday night speech in New Jersey—but did note that he still expects, at some point, to be given back everything federal authorities seized in their raid on Mar-a-Lago. In a typical all-caps screed, Trump reasoned that it should be clear to all how he had been “totally exonerated” of the 37 federal charges related to his mishandling of classified materials at the Florida estate. Rattling off his laundry list of enemies—“corrupt Joe Biden, the DOJ, deranged Jack Smith, and their radical left, Marxist thugs”—he asked when they planned “to drop all charges against me, apologize, and return everything that was illegally taken (Fourth Amendment) from my home? This was nothing other than election interference!!!”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donal...1OZ2rF0zg6ZPygH2gQ4xZm3WoIRSg6ZuhsXWzN0g

No were in the indictment is Trump being charged with a violation of the Presidential Records Act.

The indictment is totally focused on the willful retention of classified documents, and the acts of obstruction associated with the return of classified documents.

Actually it was a very smart decision by Jack Smith. Limit the indictment to the core issue.

While it certainly wasn't contained in the indictments, I certainly feel the trump team may try to use it in their defense. As I think we can see it's a rather weak and feeble defense but one that I'm pretty sure they'll attempt to use since they have little else to try to stand on. Well, I mean other than Bill Clinton's sock drawer.

The first time Trump would raise it... "Objection your honor, the defendant is not on trial for any violation of the Presidential Records Act."

Rinse and repeat.

It's a political talking point, Trump says he did not violate the Presidential Records Act. True, but not relevant.

JMHO, I'm upset because Smith DIDN'T charge Trump with a charge he DEFINITELY could have and should have been charged with...check this quote for New York Times- I know, fake news. "As the Times is reporting, there was no mention of Section 2071 of the federal criminal code, "which prohibits the concealment and mishandling of sensitive government documents" which, upon conviction, would have meant Trump "shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States.” Easily he could have been charged....guess Smith thought possibility of civil unrest due to number of idiots supporting the "completely innocent EX-President, who still hasn't admitted he LOST to Biden", he/Smith didn't want possible chaos. Double standard- normal person would have been charged.

Hitt,
I don't think the DOJ is done with their homework and there is probably more indictments to come.

https://dnyuz.com/2023/06/16/eviden...s-at-ongoing-investigations-filing-says/

The federal prosecutors overseeing the classified documents case against former President Donald J. Trump said in court papers on Friday that the evidence they are poised to give the defense as part of the normal process of discovery contained information about “ongoing investigations” that could “identify uncharged individuals.”



The court papers — a standard request to place a protective order on the discovery material — contained no explanation about what those other inquiries might be or whether were they related to the indictment detailing charges against Mr. Trump of illegally retaining dozens of national defense documents and obstructing the government’s efforts to get them back. The papers also did not identify who the uncharged people were.
till, the reference to continuing investigations was the first overt suggestion — however vague — that other criminal cases could emerge from the work that the special counsel Jack Smith has done in bringing the Espionage Act and obstruction indictment against Mr. Trump in Miami last week.

Mr. Smith is also overseeing the parallel investigation into Mr. Trump’s efforts to reverse his election loss in 2020 and the ensuing assault on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021.

Some witnesses close to Mr. Trump have been questioned by Mr. Smith’s team in connection with the both the documents and election interference inquiries.

The government’s motion for a protective order, which Mr. Trump’s lawyers did not oppose, said that prosecutors were ready to start turning over a trove of nonclassified evidence that they had collected during the documents investigation. That included information about investigative techniques, material related to potential witnesses and things like grand jury transcripts, exhibits and recordings of witness interviews, the motion said.

It also sought to restrict disclosure of the evidence to Mr. Trump’s legal team; to people who might be interviewed as witnesses and their lawyers; and to any others who were specifically authorized by the court.

At some point, Mr. Smith’s team will have work out a process for sharing with Mr. Trump’s lawyers the 31 highly sensitive documents at the center of the prosecution, some of which concern nuclear and military capabilities. On Thursday, Judge Aileen M. Cannon, a Trump appointee who is presiding over the case, told the lawyers that they needed to begin the process of obtaining security clearances to review the classified documents.

On Friday, two of Mr. Trump’s lawyers — Todd Blanche and Christopher M. Kise — notified Judge Cannon that they had reached out to the Justice Department to expedite the process of getting a clearance, which could take about a month.

Shortly after the government requested the protective order, Judge Cannon asked the federal magistrate judge assigned to help her with the case, Bruce E. Reinhart, to handle the question of whether to impose it. It is common in the Southern District of Florida for magistrate judges, not district judges like Judge Cannon, to handle pretrial motions.

Judge Reinhart is no stranger to the case. Last summer, he issued a warrant used by the F.B.I. to search Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s private club and residence in Florida, suggesting that he believed there was probable cause that investigators would find evidence of a crime at the compound.

It could be a significant development moving forward if Judge Reinhart handles the more substantial legal motions that will be filed by Mr. Trump’s lawyers in the months to come, given that Judge Cannon was widely criticized for make rulings favorable to Mr. Trump in an early stage of the investigation.

The odds of him getting classified docs back is ZERO bro. ZERO.

Anything you give Trump will be weaponized. Anything.

I don't think there is any question..

Be patient with Smith., He appears to be stacking things up piece by piece.

trump is quite sick.

He lives in his private world where he owns everything.

He is a dark stain on this country.

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-lacked-power-declassify-secret-100929256.html


Trump lacked power to declassify secret nuclear arms document, experts say
Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks following his arraignment on classified document charges, in Bedminster
The charging document against former President Donald Trump is seen in Washington
1 / 2
Trump lacked power to declassify secret nuclear arms document, experts say
Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks following his arraignment on classified document charges, in Bedminster
375
Jonathan Landay
Sun, June 18, 2023 at 6:09 AM EDT·4 min read
In this article:


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even when he was president, Donald Trump lacked the legal authority to declassify a U.S. nuclear weapons-related document that he is charged with illegally possessing, security experts said, contrary to the former U.S. president’s claim.



The secret document, listed as No. 19 in the indictment charging Trump with endangering national security, can under the Atomic Energy Act only be declassified through a process that by the statute involves the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense.

For that reason, the experts said, the nuclear document is unique among the 31 in the indictment because the declassification of the others is governed by executive order.

“The claim that he (Trump) could have declassified it is not relevant in the case of the nuclear weapons information because it was not classified by executive order but by law,” said Steven Aftergood, a government secrecy expert with the Federation of Atomic Scientists.

The special status of nuclear-related information further erodes what many legal experts say is a weak defense centered around declassification. Without providing evidence, Trump has claimed he declassified the documents before removing them from the White House.

Prosecutors likely will argue that declassification is irrelevant because Trump was charged under the Espionage Act, which predates classification and criminalizes the unauthorized retention of "national defense information," a broad term covering any secrets that could be helpful to the nation's enemies.

Document No. 19 is marked "FRD," or Formerly Restricted Data, a classification given to secret information involving the military use of nuclear weapons. The indictment described it as undated and “concerning nuclear weaponry of the United States.”



Trump, who pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, has said he declassified while still in office the more than 100 secret documents he took to his Florida resort home, Mar-a-Lago, a contention echoed by Republican lawmakers and other supporters.

But Aftergood and other experts said that the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) of 1954 - under which the Department of Energy oversees the U.S. nuclear arsenal - defines a process for declassifying nuclear weapons data, some of the U.S. government’s most closely guarded secrets.

“The statute is very clear. There’s nothing that says the president can make that decision,” said a former U.S. national security official familiar with the classification system, who asked to remain anonymous.

The most sensitive nuclear weapons information is classified as "RD," for Restricted Data, and covers warhead designs and uranium and plutonium production, according to a DOE guide entitled “Understanding Classification.”

The Department of Energy downgrades from RD to FRD nuclear weapons data it needs to share with the Pentagon, but the materials remain classified, experts said.



Materials classified as FRD include data on the U.S. arsenal size, the storage and safety of warheads, their locations and their yields or power, according to the guide.

FRD information only can be declassified through a process governed by the AEA in which the secretaries of energy and defense determine that the designation “may be removed,” according to a Justice Department FAQ sheet.

Not everyone agrees that the president lacks the power to declassify nuclear data.

David Jonas, who served for 10 years as general counsel for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Energy division that oversees the nuclear arsenal,

said Trump had the constitutional authority to declassify all classified documents under the "unitary executive theory," which holds that Congress cannot limit the president’s control over the executive branch.

“The president is the executive branch and so he can declassify anything that is nuclear information,” he said.

Other experts dispute this view.

Elizabeth Goitein, a national security law expert at the Brennan Center for Justice, said the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the authority to limit presidential power related to most national security issues and “there is no question it can legislate in this area.”

While the president can request declassification of FRD materials, “it’s got to go through both DOE (Department of Energy) and DOD (Department of Defense). And it takes forever,” said Thomas Blanton, director of the National Security Archive.

FRD materials must be stored in a properly secured space, said Aftergood. "“Sticking it in your bathroom would not qualify,” he said, referring to the indictment’s allegation that Trump stored classified documents in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom.

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Don Durfee, Amy Stevens and Cynthia Osterman)

I actually wish the DOJ or surrogate would clarify the misinformation (aka lies) that Trump keeps floating.

Fourth amendment.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Keeping classified documents in your bathroom would probably be probable cause. There is a timeline of events.

It's another bogus talking point that would never be mentioned in an official proceeding.

GOP House Intel chair says Trump classified documents case ‘of grave concern’

Julia Mueller
Sun, June 18, 2023 at 10:34 AM EDT·2 min read

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Intelligence committee, said on Sunday that the storage of the classified documents at former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property is “of grave concern,” and also raised concerns about President Biden’s handling of such materials.

“It’s certainly of grave concern,” Turner said on CNN’s “State of the Union” of the Trump documents storage, but he added that he also has “grave concerns” about classified documents from Biden’s time as vice president that are now being looked into by special counsel Robert Hur.

“I can tell you from having looked at both of those documents, I have grave concerns about both of those type of documents being out in an unsecured place. Both of them included details of national security issues that should not have been outside of a controlled environment,” Turner said.

Anchor Jake Tapper pushed back on the comparison, highlighting that Biden’s team turned over the documents quickly upon discovery and cooperated with authorities, while Trump is accused of obstruction of justice in keeping the documents from being turned over to the federal government. There is also the matter of Trump’s documents including some of the nation’s most sensitive materials.

Trump has been charged on 37 counts in connection with the mishandling of classified records at his Mar-a-Lago home. He pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in Miami last week.

Turner, who as Intelligence Committee chairman has received briefings on both the Trump and Biden classified documents investigations, said he anticipates the legal process playing out but wouldn’t defend the accusations of Trump’s mishandling of sensitive documents.

“With respect to this litigation, it’s going to go forward, and I’m certainly not going to defend the behavior that is listed in that complaint, but they’re going to have to prove it and it’s a legal process that’s going to have to go forward,” Turner said on Sunday.



https://news.yahoo.com/gop-house-intel-chair-says-143445006.html

Former Attorney General William Barr said Sunday he believes Donald Trump deserves to be prosecuted.

Barr told CBS that his former boss's handling of classified documents was "indefensible."

Trump is a "consummate narcissist" who puts his own interests before the country's, Barr said.

Up until the 2020 election, former Attorney General William Barr was seen as the epitome of a Republican loyalist, one who "distorted" the findings of Robert Mueller's Russia probe, in the words of one federal judge, and who spent the lead-up to the presidential vote casting doubt on the integrity of mail-in ballots.

But in an appearance Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation," Barr — who rejected former President Donald Trump's false claims of voter fraud before resigning from office in December 2020 — accused his former boss and the Republican frontrunner of being a "consummate narcissist" and a "troubled man" who deserves to be prosecuted for allegedly mishandling classified information.

"This is not a circumstance where he's the victim or that this is government overreach," Barr said of this month's 37-count federal indictment accusing Trump of taking classified national defense information from the White House and lying to federal officials who tried to get it back.

"He provoked this whole problem himself," Barr said, adding that while he believed Trump had been subject to "witch hunts" before, that "doesn't obviate the fact that he's also a fundamentally flawed person who engages in reckless conduct, and that leads to situations — calamitous situations like this — which are very destructive and hurt any political cause he's associated with."

Barr said he believes that Trump lied to the Department of Justice when he had his lawyers claim that he had returned all classified documents. He called it "indefensible" behavior, which he argued has resulted in a deserved prosecution.

Barr rejected the argument from some Republicans that Trump is being unfairly subjected to a double standard because Hillary Clinton was herself not prosecuted for using a private email server while Secretary of State. A 2018 review by the Department of Justice's inspector general determined that the prosecutors rightly decided not to charge Clinton with a crime based on available evidence, not undue political influence.

"That's not unfair to Trump," Barr said, "because this is not a case where Trump is innocent and being unfairly hounded. He committed the crime, or if he did commit the crime, it's not unfair to hold them to that standard."

Aside from the question of whether Trump should be prosecuted, Barr said Republicans should be asking themselves whether they should nominate a man who is accused of sharing national defense secrets with unauthorized individuals.

"Should we be putting someone like this forward as the leader of the country, leader of the free world, who is engaged in this kind of conduct?" Barr asked, arguing that the classified documents case is "not just an isolated example."

"He will always put his own interests, and gratifying his own ego, ahead of everything else, including the country's interest, there's no question about it," Barr said. "This is a perfect example of that."

Barr was not the only former Trump official to blast their former employer on Sunday.

Mark Esper, who served as Secretary of Defense from 2019 to 2020, told CNN's "State of the Union" that the allegations concerning Trump's handling of classified information are "very troubling," noting that some of the documents outline US defense plans and a proposed military attack on Iran.

If what is laid out in the federal indictment proves true, Esper said, then Trump should never be trusted with classified information again.

"It's just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation's security at risk," Esper said.



https://news.yahoo.com/barr-says-trump-troubled-man-183540684.html

Hutchinson warns Republicans to ‘back off’ allegations DOJ has been ‘weaponized’

1.2k
Julia Mueller
Sun, June 18, 2023 at 11:02 AM EDT·1 min read

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, one of several GOP presidential candidates, on Sunday warned his fellow Republicans to “back off” allegations that the Justice Department has been “weaponized.”

“In terms of the overall charge of weaponization of the Justice Department, look at [former president] Donald Trump. He’s already declared that he- if he’s elected president, he’s gonna appoint a special prosecutor to go after the Biden family. That’s called a weaponization of the Justice Department,” Hutchinson said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“And so let’s back off of these accusations, and let’s get back to being the party of the rule of law, of the justice system supporting law enforcement and the equal application of law. Let’s don’t undermine the greatest justice system and criminal justice system and rule of law in the world today, this side of heaven,” Hutchinson said.

Trump, who is leading in national polls as the GOP frontrunner in 2024, has been charged with 37 counts in connection to his alleged mishandling of classified records. He’s pleaded not guilty and decried the case against him as politically motivated.

The indictment and charges have fueled claims from many on the right that the DOJ and federal government have been weaponized and Trump has accused Biden himself of having a hand in the investigation. The White House has steadfastly avoided commenting on the indictment and asserted the DOJ operates independent of the president.

Hutchinson acknowledged he thinks the DOJ has “made some bad decisions,” but took issue with “the whole concept … that so many Republican leaders are adopting that this is the weaponization of the Justice Department.”


https://news.yahoo.com/hutchinson-warns-republicans-back-off-150206030.html

Thanks----only one word to describe what you shared---PERFECT--- if that video doesn't show the TRUE TRUMP nothing does. Just WOW!!!

Well, one thing for sure, if he repeats those lies under oath (which I'm sure his lawyers would not advise), he'll get penalized for that as well.

That would be the same reasons that Rudy and the other so called lawyers won't spout the lies under oath.

In fact, if they can help it, I doubt that trumps lawyers want him to open his mouth in court except to plea.

I'm not surprised by the number of former supporters that are turning on him.,

“Whatever you say or do can and will be held against you.” Pffft not trump. Dude got the law by the balls.

This wins the biggest understatement award in DT history. Lol

In actuality it wasn't even trump who made the not guilty plea in court. It was his attorney Todd Blanche. He told the court, “Your honor, we most certainly enter a plea of not guilty."

Maybe that's true.. Hope not. You gotta remember Trump was the one that made some of the penalties for mishandling classified documents stiffer. So if all things are truly equal, he should be allowed to attempt to defend himself. If he can't convince a jury that he's innocent, then he should be required to face the music. Just like you and I would have to do!

We shall see. It's clear that the law is different for the dirty rich.

If Hillary, Bill, or Barrack had done anything remotely irresponsible and dangerous, they’d be in jail. trump pffft …he’ll get a sweet deal. Just watch.

If you get a chance watch trumps interview with Bret Baier on fox. The moron pretty much just confessed to the whole thing. Amazing even for this clown. After this, wonder if this batch of lawyers will resign also.

Geez, what a mess he is. Dancing from one excuse to another with no chance of making sense. It's actually hard to watch.

If I'm on his team of lawyers for the documents case in Florida, (or any other case) I resign today. Just like he always does, he'll take them down with him. Cohen, Powell, Guilani and others are on the spot because of his attitude.

He just can't seem to help sticking his foot in his mouth and then insisting he didn't.

It baffles me how any respectable republican can stand up and support him ever again. He has made laughing stocks of the entire party.

This is the truth about trump.

Often trump has said he is a genius. On a regular basis he has attacked people on called them "a low IQ person."

trump paid someone to take his ACT/SAT tests. He has lied about his academic record.
https://doctorzebra.com/prez/z_x45_trump_academic_record_g.htm

His family protected him. He is in fact unlearned.

"William T. Kelley, professor for 47 years at Penn, "must have told me that 100 times over the course of 30 years. ... I remember the inflection of his voice when he said it: `Donald Trump was the dumbest goddamn student I ever had!' He would say that [Trump] came to Wharton thinking he already knew everything, that he was arrogant and he wasn't there to learn."

trump is a career fraud. He is not bright. His accomplishments have come from lying and family wealth.

His arrogance is appalling. The document case proves that. All he had to do was turn the documents over.

He was indicted from stupidity.

He was busy leave the guy alone !

wait, i thought these were fake documents planted by the FBI?

now Trump admits those are real?

come on Trump supporters, which lie y'all rolling with?

Judge issues order that Trump keep quiet about disclosure of discovery material issued in classified documents case

A magistrate judge has signed off on special counsel Jack Smith’s request that former President Donald Trump and his co-defendant Walt Nauta be prohibited from disclosing information the discovery handed over to the defense in the criminal case Trump and Nauta now face from the special counsel.

Among the restrictions approved by US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who previously approved the search warrant the FBI executed at Mar-a-Lago last year, is that “The Discovery Materials, along with any information derived therefrom, shall not be disclosed to the public or the news media, or disseminated on any news or social media platform, without prior notice to and consent of the United States or approval of the Court.”

The order sought by prosecutors and approved by Reinhart was expected and used standard language. However, it comes in a first-of-its-kind federal criminal case against an ex-president who has a proclivity to express opinions on social media and who is being prosecuted, in part, because of his alleged mishandling of sensitive government information.

The order follows the language that Smith proposed and it governs the unclassified discovery the defense will receive. The defendants did not oppose Smith’s request.

The classified materials federal investigators have collected, which are at the heart of Smith’s case, will be subjected to their own procedures for the case. The two Trump attorneys who have made appearances in the case confirmed Friday to US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who will preside over the case, that they have been in contact with the Justice Department about expediting their security clearances.

Trump faces 37 counts in the indictment brought by Smith earlier this month, which alleges that he illegally retained national defense information and that he concealed documents and obstructed the Justice Department investigation into the handling of those materials. He pleaded not guilty last week.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/19/politics/trump-disclosure-information/index.html

I saw the clips. He’s an idiot. He’’s going to jail/house arrest.

All I know is that today is a good day for Jack Smith and DOJ. He has an audio tape in his possession.

Trump really looked confused and overwhelmed.

Worst job in the world has to be a Trump lawyer.

Trump simply does not understand that he is not in trouble for a Presidential Records Act violation. He is charged with willful retention of classified documents, and obstruction of the FBI investigation/false statements.

They be rolling with the latest lie.

This idiot trump is leading in the polls for the GOP primary.

This the guy who admitted he had the documents. "But I was busy." They were mixed in with my golf shirts but they were not documents they were newspapers and magazine articles. Newspapers and magazines? Sure mixed in with plans on how to attack Iran and nuclear secrets.

This moron was president and is running again. How could he get clearance to even look classified information?

A embarrassment to this country.

He should have been removed during the first or second impeachment. His crimes are/were so freaking obvious to anyone still capable of thinking critically. Nobody will ever prove to me that he’s not in Putin’s pocket. Nobody. The right sucking up to Putin, and wanting to cut off Ukraine is the second most unAmerican thing I’ve ever seen. First is J6, also on the orange oaf and his deplorable minions. And Trumpians are all for cozying up with that monstrous dictator Putin and acting like he’s from a desirable leadership model. This infuriates me. This is also why I have nothing but disgust and hate for ANY republican right now. Sorry if you’re a good person still hanging with the cult, you can deny your support, but the polling on Trump for 2024 doesn’t lie. Nobody admits they want Trump while over 50% do in the polls.

Something you won't hear the GOP telling their faithful is the actual resume' of Jack Smith. They wish for their base to believe all the crap about the DOJ being weaponized. Jack smith has a long career of investigating and prosecuting members of both parties. He's probably about as non bias in that department as anyone that could have been chosen. Sometimes the story is much easier to manipulate by the facts people leave out than the allegations people make that have no substance. This outlines his resume' at the time he was first appointed to run the investigation on trump.........

Special Counsel Tapped by Merrick Garland to Investigate Trump Formerly Prosecuted Top Democrats and Republicans

Jack Smith, who was tapped on Friday as special prosecutor to probe the conduct of former President Donald Trump, has a history of prosecuting both Democrats and Republicans for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Smith was head of the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., for five years, according to a 2017 press release that contained a biographical sketch. That press release was issued when Smith, by then the acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, announced plans to step down in August 2017.

The Tenneseean reported at the time that Smith, while in the D.C.-based corruption unit, “oversaw the corruption cases against former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, former Arizona U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi and New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.” Additionally, while in Tennessee, Smith prosecuted former Nashville General Sessions Judge Cason “Casey” Moreland on obstruction of justice charges, the newspaper indicated.

Silver, who died earlier this year, was a longtime New York Democrat who held considerable power over the Empire State’s political winds and financial coffers. Moreland is also a Democrat. Renzi and McDonnell are both Republicans.

Moreland pleaded guilty, according to a DOJ press release from 2018. The McDonnell and Silver convictions were later overturned, the Tennessean noted.

The press release announcing Smith’s departure from the Middle District of Tennessee listed him as a 16-year DOJ veteran who moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to serve as First Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2015. He became the Acting U.S. Attorney when David Rivera resigned in March 2017. Smith took over at that time, announced plans to leave in August 2017, and was planned to remain in office until early September 2017 when his replacement, Donald Q. Cochran, assumed office.

“Though not looking to leave the Department of Justice, Smith said he had been offered an incredible opportunity and after much consideration, he had decided to leave the DOJ,” the press release said.

“This was one of the most difficult professional decisions that I have ever been faced with,” Smith said at the time in a prepared statement. “I truly love representing the American people and seeking justice on their behalf. I will profoundly miss the close relationships I have developed with the exceptional public servants in our office, as well as the consummate professionals of our law enforcement community. While I am leaving the Department of Justice, I remain committed to our serving our community here in Nashville in other ways in the coming years.”

An even earlier press release — which claims to have been updated in 2015 but which also appears to have been amended concomitant to Smith’s duties in the Middle District of Tennessee — provided more details about Smith’s background:

Jack Smith was appointed First Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee in February of 2015. Prior to his appointment, from 2010 to 2015 Mr. Smith served as Chief of the Public Integrity Section of the United States Department of Justice, supervising the litigation of complex public corruption cases across the country. From 2008 to 2010, Jack served as Investigation Coordinator in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, Netherlands. In that capacity, he supervised sensitive investigations of foreign government officials and militia for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Mr. Smith joined the ICC from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, where he served for 9 years in a number of supervisory positions, including Chief of Criminal Litigation and Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division. As Chief of Criminal Litigation, Mr. Smith supervised approximately 100 criminal prosecutors across a range of program areas, such as public corruption, violent crime and gangs, and white collar and complex financial fraud. Before becoming an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Smith served for five years as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office.

Mr. Smith is the recipient of the Director’s Award from the Department of Justice, the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, the Federal Bar Association’s Younger Federal Attorney Award, the Eastern District Association’s Charles Rose Award and the Henry L. Stimson Medal by New York County Bar Association. Mr. Smith is a [censored] graduate of Harvard Law School and a summa [censored] laude graduate of the State University of New York at Oneonta.

Another biography maintained by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, where Smith most recently worked, says he left the DOJ to work for as “Head of Litigation for the Hospital Corporation of America, the largest non-governmental health-care provider in the United States” in September 2017. From there, he took office as Specialist Prosecutor on Sept. 11, 2018.

As Law&Crime previously reported on Friday, the special counsel investigation will be two-fold: Smith will determine (1) whether to charge Trump with offenses related to his handling of classified materials, and (2) whether Trump engaged in crimes surrounding his alleged efforts to disrupt the lawful transfer of power.

According to Business Insider, Smith is “registered to vote as an independent.”

https://lawandcrime.com/trump/speci...rosecuted-top-democrats-and-republicans/

The very purpose of appointing a special counsel in cases like this are to separate the DOJ from the investigation and remove them from making the decision as whether to prosecute or not. The very reason special counsel is appointed to run such investigations is to remove any bias that people may accuse the DOJ from committing.

Smith isn't bias and his resume' proves it. But when people don't care to look into something and would rather simply parrot what they are being told, this is how it looks.

Interesting new development---what Trump did isn't very important and he shouldn't be held responsible. News flash, Kendra Kingsbury, former FBI intel worker sentenced to nearly FOUR years in prison for .....wait for it.....storing SECRET information in her bathroom. Note- Trump has two levels higher secret- Top Secret and SCI- special compartmental intelligence- stored/kept in his bathroom. No harm/ no foul---former President Trump should go to prison if our justice system is equal.....time will tell.

He was going to give it back.... he was busy

I have an Agnew-esque resolution. Trump pleads guilty to the charge above and avoids jail time. But it has to be as his request, the government won't offer, simply because the government has overwhelming evidence. Trump has to take the plead, admit guilt and would never hold elected office again. Not that I want this to happen, but it is a plausible out. The only other option that Trump has involves prayers for the judge or jury pool to be tainted.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-...otives-then-they-heard-the-tape-37a7efed

Trump Prosecutors Struggled Over Motives. Then They Heard the Tape.
Audio recording became a significant find in the classified-documents case

Former President Donald Trump speaking in Bedminster, N.J., on the day of his indictment in Miami. CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES
By
Aruna Viswanatha
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and
Sadie Gurman
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June 23, 2023 5:30 am ET


WASHINGTON—Justice Department and FBI officials disagreed back in August about whether their investigation into the handling of sensitive documents justified the search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Fewer officials had doubts earlier this month, when prosecutors took an even bolder step: asking a grand jury to indict the former president on 37 counts.

What turned the tide was an audio tape and other evidence investigators confirmed around February from meetings Trump held almost two years earlier and a thousand miles from the former president’s Palm Beach, Fla., resort, according to people familiar with the matter.

That crucial evidence, along with notes from a Trump lawyer describing his response to the investigation, helped spur prosecutors to push forward with a criminal case, the people said—an unprecedented step that might have been avoided if Trump had cooperated even late last year, as some of his lawyers had urged him to do.

Y
In the indictment of former President Donald Trump, federal prosecutors allege that he kept national-defense information that he knew he wasn’t supposed to have. Photo illustration: Xingpei Shen
Former Florida Solicitor General Chris Kise, for one, whom Trump hired in the aftermath of the August search, sought a conciliatory tack. He aimed to de-escalate the criminal investigation and head off charges by promising to return all documents, according to people familiar with the matter. He hoped that would give Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department an off-ramp before the political and legal pileup bound to accompany any decision to indict a former president.

Such an approach might have found fertile ground at the Justice Department last year. When Garland appointed Jack Smith special counsel in November to take over the probe, investigators had found clear evidence that boxes that might have contained classified documents had been moved after Trump received a subpoena, and weren’t provided to his lawyer searching for such material. But investigators were struggling to identify a nefarious motivation for Trump’s possible retention of national-defense documents even after he was ordered to return them, according to people familiar with the matter.

At the time of the search and in the ensuing months, investigators had only heard rumors of Trump’s sharing sensitive documents with donors or other political allies, including on his plane, some of the people familiar with the matter said. They hadn’t established whether such claims were credible.


An image showing boxes of records stored in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago is included in the indictment. PHOTO: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Investigators had obtained no evidence that Trump was trying to use the information to help his business or blackmail political opponents, and some officials were wary of using such a show of force against someone who, less than two years earlier, had the ultimate authority to classify or declassify whatever he saw fit.

Before the search, agents in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington field office wanted to give Trump’s legal team the opportunity to have agents search Mar-a-Lago with Trump’s consent and to give Trump’s lawyers a heads-up before executing any search warrant. “We were adamant about, you know, talking to the attorney first,” Steven D’Antuono, who ran that field office until he retired late last year, told congressional investigators behind closed doors earlier this month, according to a transcript of his testimony. “I got overruled in a sense,” he said.

Some officials at the time, even with evidence Trump might have obstructed the response to the May 11, 2022, subpoena demanding the production of classified documents, said their main interest in conducting the Mar-a-Lago search was to return any such material to the government’s possession.

Momentum shifted around February of this year, when investigators got hold of an audio recording of a July 21, 2021, meeting at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, N.J., where Trump and his aides met with people working on an autobiography of his former chief of staff, Mark Meadows.

In the audio, the former president could be heard showing them a document that laid out a U.S. plan to attack Iran. Trump seemed to be brandishing it to dispute an article published a few days earlier in the New Yorker. That article said Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had tried to stop Trump from attacking Iran at the end of his presidency.





In the recording, Trump clearly stated that he was sharing it despite knowing the information remained classified because he hadn’t declassified it as president. That gave prosecutors direct evidence that Trump knew what he was doing was wrong.

Trump told Fox News on Monday that he didn’t have a classified document in the meeting.

“I didn’t have a document, per se,” he said. “There was nothing to declassify. These were newspaper stories, magazine stories and articles.”

In March, prosecutors used the recording to confront Trump aide Margo Martin, one of several staffers who had followed the former president to Mar-a-Lago from the White House and was in that Bedminster meeting, people familiar with the matter said. Any prospect of a settlement now looked vanishingly remote.

The Trump team’s line had hardened too. Instead of cooperating with prosecutors, as Kise had urged, Trump heeded the advice of other lawyers and allies who encouraged a more aggressive approach.

A spokesman for Trump, Steven Cheung, said the former president said early on that he would assist the probe. “Sadly, the weaponized DOJ rejected this offer of cooperation and conducted an unnecessary and unconstitutional raid on the president’s home in order to inflict maximum political damage on the leading presidential candidate,” Cheung said.

Kise and other lawyers for Trump advanced an argument in November that his team is likely to reassert: that any records the former president transferred from the White House were personal papers rather than government documents and that as the departing chief executive, he alone had the authority to determine which ones to disclose.


Chris Kise is member of the Trump legal team who early on advocated a conciliatory approach with the prosecution. PHOTO: WILFREDO LEE/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Prosecutors also obtained evidence that Trump had allegedly shown a classified map related to a military operation to a political ally at Bedminster in 2021, a few weeks after the meeting that was recorded.

While the Bedminster incidents indicate to investigators that Trump had shared information he knew he wasn’t supposed to, they also hint at a potential defense for Trump, by showing his motivation in hanging on to documents that appear to be reminders of his time in office, or as props he would use to make political arguments as he spoke to allies.

Officials also discussed why Trump’s possession of documents was different enough from the ways in which Hillary Clinton, Mike Pence and Joe Biden handled classified material, ultimately determining that Trump’s deliberate misleading of authorities stood in stark enough contrast to warrant a case.

To make their case, prosecutors also drew on Trump’s remarks during campaign events in 2016, when his supporters, chanting “lock her up,” demanded that Clinton be charged with a similar crime for storing classified information on her personal email server.



Still, authorities appeared at times to give Trump’s team the benefit of the doubt, including in allowing his lawyers late last year to certify that they had found no additional classified documents at Bedminster, without requiring the FBI to do the search itself.

In bringing the case, Smith appears to be continuing to take a careful approach, charging dozens of counts but deferring to Trump’s legal team in other ways that are unusual, compared with how the Justice Department treats most federal criminal defendants facing similar charges. A spokesman for Smith declined to comment.

Prosecutors, for example, didn’t seek to have Trump detained during his arraignment last week and requested few restrictions on his release, allowing him to travel and keep his passport. By then, of course, Trump was a declared candidate, and the front-runner, for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination.

—Alex Leary contributed to this article.

Write to Aruna Viswanatha at aruna.viswanatha@wsj.com and Sadie Gurman at sadie.gurman@wsj.com

He’ll take a sweet deal and then he’ll break the deal and be applauded by the trump brigade. Just watch. The dude and his followers have little education with no scruples.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/poli...ad9cd207b74b71b6dde17bbcba0b2f&ei=20

Chinese Company Trump Relieved of Sanctions As a ‘Personal Favor’ Is Reportedly Linked to Cuba Spy Base
Story by Alex Griffing • Thursday


AP Photo/Susan Walsh

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that workers from ZTE, a state-owned Chinese telecommunications company, had been tracked by U.S. officials “exiting suspected Chinese spy facilities in Cuba.” ZTE had been under U.S. sanctions since 2016, but the Trump administration lifted those sanctions in 2018 allowing the communications equipment maker to resume business in the U.S.

“Intelligence reviewed during the Trump administration contributed to suspicions at the time that the companies might be playing a role in expanding China’s ability to spy on the U.S. from the island, according to the people,” reported Kate O’Keeffe in the Journal – referring to Huawei Technologies as well as ZTE.

Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on ZTE was met with bipartisan condemnation in 2018. “ZTE should be put out of business. There is no ‘deal’ with a state-directed company that the Chinese government and Communist Party uses to spy and steal from us where Americans come out winning,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said in a statement at the time.

“The department will remain vigilant as we closely monitor ZTE’s actions to ensure compliance with all U.S. laws and regulations,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said at the time as well, addressing the criticism. In 2017, ZTE pleaded guilty to illegally exporting U.S. technology to Iran and North Korea.

Trump’s lifting of sanctions on the company sparked divisions within Congress as the Senate moved to block the Commerce Department deal allowing ZTE to pay a hefty fine in order to lift the export restrictions. The Senate passed the Defense Department budget in 2019 with a provision both blocking the deal to lift sanctions and banning the federal government from buying Huawei and ZTE products. The House eventually stripped the provision blocking sanctions relief from the defense budget authorization and Trump signed it into law, only keeping the ban on the federal government buying ZTE products.


Trump’s motivation to help ZTE do business in the U.S. has long been a controversial topic in U.S. national security circles. Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro raised eyebrows in June of 2018 when he told Fox News, “It’s going to be three strikes you’re out on ZTE. If they do one more additional thing, they will be shut down. We have a bad actor in ZTE…President (Donald Trump) did this as a personal favor to the president of China as a way of showing some goodwill.”

Furthermore, following the May 2018 announcement by Trump that he would lift sanctions on ZTE, China announced a $500 million loan to help fund a theme park in Indonesia with a Trump-branded hotel and golf course attached.

“The Chinese government is extending a $500 million loan to a state-owned construction company to build an Indonesian theme park that will feature a Trump-branded golf course and hotels,” read the lead of a National Review article from May 2018.

Later that same month, speculation abounded that Trump’s sanctions relief was related to his daughter Ivanka Trump seeking trademarks in China. New York Times ran an article titled, “Ivanka Trump Wins China Trademarks, Then Her Father Vows to Save ZTE.” While the Times makes clear the connection between Ivanka’s trademarks and ZTE is “probably” a coincidence, the article argues “the remarkable timing is raising familiar questions about the Trump family’s businesses and its patriarch’s status as commander in chief.”

“Even as Mr. Trump contends with Beijing on issues like security and trade, his family and the company that bears his name are trying to make money off their brand in China’s flush and potentially promising market,” wrote Sui-Lee Wee at the time.

ZTE employees’ presence at the spy base in Cuba, which China allegedly has maintained since 2019 – while Trump was still president – is certain to raise even more questions as to ZTE’s ability to do business in the U.S. and why sanctions were removed in the first place.

We will see true colors of politicians now… red, blue, or red, white and blue…


https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/26/politics/trump-classified-documents-audio/index.html

I just finished listening to the audio and for me this clinches it. He's as guilty as can be.

As for what politicians will do or say, your guess is as good as mine. But if I was going to guess, I'd say there are a group of Republicans that fall under the tag line of MAGA, they'll defend it.,

I'm still having a hard time believing some MAGA types want to expunge trumps impeachments. I don't even think that they can do that but they'll try.

I didn't think I would listen because I expected it to be a bad recording and mumbling and people would argue over what was said or who said it. Learning that he knew he was being recorded brings a different dimension to the discussion and evidence. . . I mean it's black and white. There is no ignorance of what he was doing or belief that he had declassified anything. Any other person on the planet would probably already be behind bars.

If it were not so serious and peoples lives were at stake. This would be comical.

Yes donnie this does prove your case.

You are guilty. You sob.

It is so perfect that this moron is bragging about this to people who are meaningless. Reporters. He is bragging to reporters and showing them highly classified documents. They think it is funny.

He is unfit to be anything other than what he is; a criminal.

Trump's response.....

Donald Trump Slams 'Deranged' Prosecutor Jack Smith Over Leaked Audio Files

Donald Trump has blamed Special Counsel Jack Smith, the Department of Justice and the FBI after CNN released audio which purports to show the former president discussing classified documents in his possession, in 2021.

In the clip, broadcast on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 on Monday, Trump appears to brag about having "highly confidential" papers, and admits he doesn't have the power to declassify them.

Trump pleaded not guilty in a Miami courtroom this month to 37 counts linked to his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Despite his arrest, polling indicates Trump remains the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, meaning the former president's legal battles could play a big role in who occupies the White House from January 2025.

The newly released recording features Trump speaking with a staff member and a writer who was helping Mark Meadows, his former chief of staff, work on a memoir. The former president knew the meeting, held at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, was being recorded, according to CNN.

During the audio clip, whilst referring to Pentagon attack plans, Trump comments: "These are the papers. This was done by the military and given to me.

"See as president I could have declassified it. Now I can't, you know, but this is still a secret."

Responding to the leak on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "The Deranged Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith, working in conjunction with the DOJ & FBI, illegally leaked and 'spun' a tape and transcript of me which is actually an exoneration, rather than what they would have you believe. This continuing Witch Hunt is another ELECTION INTERFERENCE Scam. They are cheaters and thugs!"

The Republican frontrunner didn't provide any evidence that Smith, the Department of Justice or the FBI played any role in the audio being published. CNN reports the audio recording is one of two cases in which Trump allegedly shared classified documents with others who lacked security clearance, according to the indictment.

Trump later added: "COULD SOMEBODY PLEASE EXPLAIN TO THE DERANGED, TRUMP HATING JACK SMITH, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS FRIENDS, THAT AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, I COME UNDER THE PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS ACT, AS AFFIRMED BY THE CLINTON SOCKS CASE, NOT BY THIS PSYCHOS' FANTASY OF THE NEVER USED BEFORE ESPIONAGE ACT OF 1917.'SMITH' SHOULD BE LOOKING AT CROOKED JOE BIDDEN AND ALL OF THE CRIMES THAT HE HAS PERPETRATED ON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, INCLUDING THE MILLIONS & MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HE EXTORTED FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES!"

It is unclear why he put Smith inside quotation marks, and he didn't provide any evidence to support his claim Biden had "extorted" millions of dollars from other countries.

Newsweek has contacted the Department of Justice for comment via its official press contact form.

In an emailed statement sent to Newsweek, a Trump campaign spokesperson insisted the former president wasn't guilty of any wrongdoing.

"The audio tape provides context proving, once again, that President Trump did nothing wrong at all.

"The President is speaking rhetorically and also quite humorously... The media and the Trump-haters once again were all too willing to take the bait, falling for another Democrat-DOJ hoax, hook, line, and sinker," the spokesperson said.

Trump's remarks in the recording appear to contradict his previous assertion that he'd declassified the confidential documents prior to leaving the White House.

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-tru...ck-smith-over-leaked-audio-files-1809239

I call it the The Wizard of Oz defense...

Responding to the leak on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "The Deranged Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith, working in conjunction with the DOJ & FBI, illegally leaked and 'spun' a tape and transcript of me which is actually an exoneration, rather than what they would have you believe. This continuing Witch Hunt is another ELECTION INTERFERENCE Scam. They are cheaters and thugs!"

And all across America there are many really, really stupid people who believe him. There are no doubt many media sycophants and scumbags who will support these derranged lies. He's STILL the overwhelming favorite to be the GOP nomination....

We knew they lived among us. But until trump we never knew there were so damned many of them. At least I didn't.

And so it begins......

The comments section on the site where I saw this is hysterical. Hannity gets skulldrug from all sides.

Yeah, it's been hilarious. I think the only point Hannity made is since they haven't found the document in question, that trump is still, to this very day, continuing to hide more documents they have not yet found.

Of course he is

It reminds me of Monty Python's dead parrot skit.
[img]https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/...nimal_Posteritty_Poster.jpg?format=1000w[/img]

CNN is reporting that special council has brought in Rudy to talk about J6

I'm half joking - half serious: Good luck getting anything sane out of that guy.

I think it's great they (Smith & DOJ) finally going up the tree- "Former federal prosecutor Noah Bookbinder, the head of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, wrote that Giuliani's interview is "very significant" because he had a "front row seat to Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and was himself a leading force behind that effort." CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen pointed out that there is only "one reason" Smith's team would take a proffer from Giuliani. "They're considering ways to move up the Jan. 6 food chain," he wrote. "That's ominous for Trump."
Maybe justice will be served and the LEADER will have his day in court. WOW- potential new "firsts" for ex- President Trump-----wasn't he great. This is how to "Make America Great Again"- MAGA- what a loser.

I think it'd be more damning if they had the document... I think not having it hurts the prosecution and lets Trump say that he was talking about a news article...

I'd like to hear what those in his presence during that tape have to say... surely they can testify to what he was holding/talking about...

I think it's pretty damning but not sure it's the nail in the coffin that some think it is...

The interesting thing is THINGS keep changing, bit by bit--"Ackerman, speaking on MSNBC, was asked by host Ari Melber about the implications of the "proffer" interview Smith conducted with the former Trump attorney and former mayor. Some experts have suggested that Giuliani is aiming for a deal. Ackerman said that Giuliani was "smack-dab in the middle of everything." "If he comes totally clean here, Donald Trump is in big trouble, John Eastman is in big trouble, right down the line, possibly General Flynn, Roger Stone, Steve Bannon," he said."

Wouldn't it be great if they could roll up all the scum- folks in one ball and put them all where they belong. All wearing stripes.

The prosecution has an airtight case. It’s the MAGA trump brigade that has doubts and believe every lie trump spins.

If they didnt they would not have done a raid and charged him.

They got Hunter! Lol

You’d think now, the trump brigade would disperse. But no, they all hang on to that thin cracking sapling of hope hanging off the cliff.

Many of the people at that meeting have been questioned and knowing how the feds operate, I'm pretty sure they have one or more corroborating witnesses to the event. Case in point........

Top Trump aide revealed as individual he allegedly showed classified map, report says

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/top-trump-aide-revealed-individual-191733244.html

hows that possible when trrump and his supporters claimed the documents were fake and planted by the feds?

I could claim the the sky is green with no evidence to support it. And a lot of what they claim is just that. Claims without evidence.

Trump demanded Arizona governor find evidence of 'fraud' to overturn 2020 election in newly revealed call
Charles R. Davis Jul 1, 2023, 10:21 AM GMT-4


Trump demanded former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey overturn the 2020 election in a previously unreported call.
Ducey told a Republican donor he was under "pressure" from Trump, The Washington Post reported.
President Joe Biden won Arizona by more than 10,000 votes.


When former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey was certifying President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election, he received a call, during the ceremony, from the loser: Donald Trump.

When the two later spoke, sources familiar with the conversation told The Washington Post, the former president demanded that the Republican look into false claims of fraud that, in his view, would provide cover for overturning the election.

Ducey, who left office earlier this year because of term limits, later told a major Republican donor that he felt "pressure" to do the former president's bidding, according to the Post. The outlet also reported that Ducey expressed surprise that he has not been asked about the call by Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, who is investigating Trump's efforts to remain in power after losing an election.

A spokesperson for Ducey noted that no officials have ever found any evidence to support Trump's claims of massive voter fraud. He lost Arizona by more than 10,000 votes.


The former president called Ducey several times after the 2020 election, the Post reported. But he also enlisted his vice president, Mike Pence, in the lobbying campaign. Sources familiar with Pence's calls said he did not pressure Ducey like Trump had, but urged him to report back if he found any evidence of fraud.

Trump's demand that Ducey find enough evidence of fraud to overcome his five-digit loss is reminiscent of his efforts in Georgia, where he asked Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" him 10,000 votes.

https://www.businessinsider.com/tru...doug-ducey-overturn-2020-election-2023-7

we'll see... I don't think it's airtight, but honestly haven't followed closely... I just looked up when the trial date is set, which looks to be August... I hope it actually holds so we can get this thing over with... I don't believe everything (or most things) that Trump says.... but I also think 90% of what media says is political spin, so it's hard to tell what's truth at times...

but we'll see...

I figured they had to be deposed already... you'd figure that what the say would significantly help out one side of this case depending on what they say...

The thing has been kept under wraps pretty well. What I can say is that federal prosecutors most always have a pretty tight case when they bring charges forward. Their conviction rate from what I've seen ranges between 95% and 99% depending on the source. But this one is a somewhat different animal being such a high profile case. The fact they are holding the trial in Miami is one thing of note. It's a large city with a Republican majority of voters and Republican Mayor which in and of itself is somewhat odd.

Then there is the fact that the judge herself was appointed by the defendant. Which on the surface seems like a huge conflict of interest.

At any rate, getting a jury from a majority Republican city with a trump appointed judge in charge of a politically fueled case makes this case completely different than any other I've heard of.

Sadly you keep hearing trump claiming this is a witch hunt and purely political when the stage couldn't have been set any better for him.

Trump Showed Classified Documents to Mar-a-Lago Visitors, Ex-Comms Director Says

Stephanie Grisham, former Communications Director and Press Secretary under ex-president Donald Trump, told MSNBC’s Alex Witt that Trump had shown classified documents to visitors at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach resort. “I watched him show documents to people at Mar-a-Lago on the dining room patio,” Grisham said. “So he has no respect for classified information. Never did... to be showing [classified documents] to people who haven’t gone through the extreme vetting that you go through to get a clearance, it’s you know, it’s a disservice to the country, but it also puts people in danger potentially.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump...5dywP_adQc62JnY-1UfRGDf480Gbt4ZRNkcIinZs

In Trump case, Justice Dept. unseals previously blacked-out portions from search warrant application

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Wednesday disclosed some of the previously blacked-out portions of a warrant application it submitted last year to gain authorization to search former President Donald Trump’s Florida property for classified documents.

Key portions of the document had already been made public, but media organizations including The Associated Press had pressed for further unsealing in light of a 38-count indictment last month charging Trump and his valet, Walt Nauta, with concealing classified records at Mar-a-Lago from investigators. A magistrate judge, Bruce Reinhart, declined to order the Justice Department to unseal the search warrant affidavit in its entirety but did require prosecutors to publicly file a less-redacted affidavit.

The newly revealed paragraphs lay out important evidence that prosecutors had gathered well before the search took place, recounting how surveillance footage from inside the property showed dozens of boxes being relocated by a Trump aide in the days before FBI and Justice Department investigators visited the home to collect records.

During that June 3, 2022 visit, law enforcement officials were handed an envelope of 38 classified documents and told that all records sought by a subpoena were being turned over and that a “diligent search” of the home had been done. But investigators had reason to believe that was not true based on the relocation of boxes that they had observed on video, and that additional records remained at the house.

The movement of boxes by Nauta was detailed in last month’s indictment, but its inclusion in the search warrant affidavit helps explain why the Justice Department felt it had probable cause to search Trump’s home on Aug. 8, 2022 and why investigators were concerned that documents were being intentionally withheld from them.

The affidavit recounts how someone identified only as “Witness 5” was seen on multiple days carrying either cardboard or bankers’ boxes in and out of the anteroom at the house. The affidavit does not mention Nauta by name, but the dates of the actions — as well as of an FBI interview “during which the location of boxes was a significant subject of questioning” — line up with the dates cited in the indictment.

Nauta is set to be arraigned in federal court on Miami on Thursday. Trump has already pleaded not guilty to more than three dozen felony counts, many alleging willful retention of national defense information.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-ma...BH5bl5_PFJRl38wIH-VJtEfvxnTAEFwVUIcnXVDU

Photo of boxes upon boxes posted at the link.

Even after all of the coverage, it was still mind-boggling to actually see that collection. smdh

and the hits just keep on coming

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/06/politics/oval-office-meeting-trump-special-counsel-probe/index.html

Exclusive: Special counsel prosecutors question witnesses about chaotic Oval Office meeting after Trump lost the 2020 election
Kaitlan Collins Zachary Cohen Paula Reid Sara Murray Katelyn Polantz
By Kaitlan Collins, Zachary Cohen, Paula Reid, Sara Murray and Katelyn Polantz, CNN
Published 8:04 PM EDT, Thu July 6, 2023



Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images/FILE
CNN
—
Special counsel Jack Smith’s team has signaled a continued interest in a chaotic Oval Office meeting that took place in the final days of the Trump administration, during which the former president considered some of the most desperate proposals to keep him in power over objections from his White House counsel.

Multiple sources told CNN that investigators have asked several witnesses before the grand jury and during interviews about the meeting, which happened about six weeks after Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Some witnesses were asked about the meeting months ago, while several others have faced questions about it more recently, including Rudy Giuliani.

Last month, for two consecutive days, Giuliani sat down with investigators for a voluntary interview about a range of topics, including the tumultuous December 2020 meeting that he attended, sources said.



Prosecutors have specifically inquired about three outside Trump advisers who participated in the meeting: former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, one-time national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, sources said.

Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello, declined to comment.

A lawyer for Powell declined to comment, as did a lawyer for Byrne. CNN has also reached out to an attorney for Flynn for comment.

jack smith special counsel remarks 060923 ISO
Arizona secretary of state's office subpoenaed in special counsel probe into 2020 election interference
Both Powell and Byrne previously spoke at length under oath about the meeting and other topics to the House committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Flynn declined to answer questions in his committee interview, by asserting his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.

The special counsel’s sustained interest in the chaotic episode comes as Smith’s team appears to be nearing charging decisions in the investigation into efforts to overturn the election results. Investigators are still gathering evidence, reaching out to several new witnesses in recent weeks and working to schedule interviews.

During the heated Oval Office meeting on December 18, 2020, outside advisers faced off with top West Wing attorneys over a plan to have the military seize voting machines in crucial states that Trump had lost. They also discussed naming Powell as special counsel to investigate supposed voter fraud, and Trump invoking martial law as part of his efforts to overturn the election.

Shouting and insults ensued; the night ended with Trump tweeting that a coming gathering in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021, to protest the election results “will be wild.”

Among the witnesses questioned by the special counsel’s team was former national security adviser Robert O’Brien, who told the January 6 House select committee that he was patched into the December 18 meeting by phone after it had already devolved into a screaming match between Flynn, Powell and White House lawyers, according to a transcript of O’Brien’s deposition that was released by the panel.

Details about subsequent secret grand jury testimony and closed-door interviews illustrate how the special counsel and his prosecutors are looking at the various ways Trump tried to overturn his electoral loss despite some of his top officials advising him against the ideas.

The consistent emphasis on the December 18 Oval Office meeting appears to overlap with the special counsel’s broader effort to hone in on the actions of several Trump lawyers and allies during the period from December 14, 2020, to January 6, 2021.

The December 14 date is of particular interest to prosecutors, sources told CNN. On that day, slates of alternate Republican electors in seven battleground states signed certificates falsely asserting Trump had won. Also that day, members of the Electoral College met in all 50 states to officially cast their ballots, declaring Joe Biden the winner with 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232.

Investigators have focused on efforts to recruit the illegitimate electors, have them sign certificates falsely asserting Trump had won, and then use them as a pretense to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to delay certification of Biden’s Electoral College win on January 6.

At least one witness has told prosecutors in recent weeks that Trump allies asked Pence to question the legitimacy of Biden’s electors in those seven states based on unfounded claims about widespread voter fraud and kick the decision of certification back to the states themselves, one source said.

Trump Lawyer Wood Retired as Georgia Bar Weighed Disbarment (1)
Tatyana Monnay
Tatyana Monnay
Reporter


Wood asks the Georgia bar to grant his resignation request
Wood faces bar investigations that could lead to disbarment
Lin Wood, an attorney who tried to overturn 2020 presidential results on behalf of former President Donald Trump, retired from practicing law effective Wednesday after the State Bar of Georgia weighed his possible disbarment.

The Georgia bar granted Wood’s retirement request, the organization said in a letter to him Wednesday.

“You may not practice law in this State or in any other state or jurisdiction and you may not hold yourself out as a lawyer,” the bar said in its letter, noting that it has dropped two investigations into Wood’s professional conduct.

The Georgia bar had been examining whether to disbar Wood, who was part of Trump’s legal team in the 2020 election. The bar asked Wood to undergo a mental health assessment as part of a probe opened in 2021. Former colleagues said Wood displayed “erratic, abusive, and unprofessional behavior,” according to the bar.

Wood said that the investigation and mental exam request were politically motivated and sued to stop it. In his Tuesday letter to the bar, he said of his retirement, “I understand that this request is unqualified, irrevocable and permanent.”

Wood and the Georgia bar did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.

This isn’t the first time Wood is facing disciplinary proceedings for his help in trying to overthrow the 2020 election. In Michigan, a judge ruled in 2021 that Wood and Sidney Powell were among a group of attorneys that must pay the state and city of Detroit $175,250 for abusing the legal system with unfounded conspiracy theories.

Wood was included in a group of Trump loyalists who got suspended from Twitter for posting election conspiracies, which once violated the site’s policies.

(Updates with Georgia bar accepting Wood's resignation request.)
To contact the reporter on this story: Tatyana Monnay at tmonnay@bloombergindustry.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chris Opfer at copfer@bloombergindustry.com; John Hughes at jhughes@bloombergindustry.com

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/busin...etiring-as-georgia-bar-weighs-disbarment

He only hires the best.

Wood was right there in the mix for the insurrection and he's gonna get off by simply retiring? I just don't think thats right at all.

It’s how many big corporations take care of their deplorable CEO’s, force them to retire and put a minority in charge to take the heat, instead of punishing their poor performance. Lawyers….When disbarment is imminent. Just retire. Lol.

Goper collar crime gets retirement instead of prosecution. Pffft.

I would call that a TBD. The point is that he has given up his law license by retiring and cannot offer legal services any more.

The Georgia bar is not a police or sheriff department. If they believed a criminal act was committed, it would have to be a referral.

\


Granted he wouldn't be able to practice law but I don't think he's stopped from going on Newsmax or FOX and give his opinion.. That might be worse.

I did hear that Jack Smith could still go after him regarding J6.. As you said, TBD

Rudy is coming into the find out stage...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/20...likely-committed-ethics-violat-rcna61845


D.C. Bar counsel urges Giuliani be disbarred after panel says he most likely committed ethics violation
The panel's tentative finding, which isn’t final, came after Giuliani defended his work on a lawsuit that sought to toss out the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania.
Image: Rudy Giuliani



The D.C. Bar's disciplinary counsel recommended Thursday that Rudy Giuliani be disbarred after a hearing panel tentatively determined that he most likely violated at least one professional conduct rule in his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania.

The panel said its determination was preliminary and nonbinding, and because of that it declined to specify what rule Giuliani, who contested the election results as former President Donald Trump’s lawyer, had most likely violated. It will release a final decision in several weeks, after hearing recommendations related to what discipline Giuliani should receive, assuming the preliminary finding stands.

Hamilton “Phil” Fox, of the Washington, D.C., Office of Disciplinary Counsel, called for the harshest penalty for Giuliani, disbarment, after the panel announced its tentative finding, saying Giuliani tried to undermine the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.

“Any lawyer that engages in this kind of misconduct, harming the country as this has done, has at least got to realize that his or her law license is at risk,” Fox said.

At the conclusion of the proceedings, Giuliani expressed outrage toward the panel for allowing Fox to make what he characterized as a "personal attack." Airing a series of grievances, Giuliani defended his attempts to contest the 2020 election results, which he continues to claim he had reason to believe were rigged.

Giuliani’s lawyer, John Leventhal, argued for a minor disciplinary measure, like a letter of reprimand or a private admonition, arguing that the disciplinary counsel’s arguments rely heavily on politics.

“We feel that the least serious discipline should be imposed. Otherwise you’re going to chill effective advocacy in the future,” Leventhal said.



The panel is set to issue a final report with its recommendations to the D.C. Bar’s Board on Professional Responsibility, which will decide whether to accept the recommendation after both sides file additional briefs. The Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals will make the final determination on any disciplinary action.

The recommendation was made after Giuliani defended his work on a lawsuit that sought to toss the 2020 election results in the state at a hearing before a committee of the bar’s Board on Professional Responsibility last week. A judge rejected the lawsuit, and a federal appeals court refused to allow the campaign to file a revised complaint.

At the hearing before the Washington panel, Fox told it that Giuliani, a former New York City mayor and U.S. attorney in Manhattan, “weaponized his law license to bring a frivolous action in an attempt to undermine the Constitution.”

Leventhal argued that Giuliani shouldn’t face charges because the judge in the Pennsylvania case didn’t accept and never considered the sole version of the complaint Giuliani signed.

A New York appeals court suspended Giuliani’s law license last year, saying he made “demonstrably false and misleading” statements about the 2020 election while serving as Trump’s lawyer. Giuliani’s Washington law license was suspended after the New York decision.

From what i understand, that is a quirk in the Georgia system for lawyers. They can get out of disbarring by simply retiring. Other states like Pennsylvania, that is not possible.
The DOJ seems to be looking at Wood, Giuliani and especially Sidney Powell for criminal charges.

I hope the whole klan of them rot in jail. Traitors to the man.

The game plan all along; delay until after the election;

How Trump will fight the classified documents charges he’s facing, including asking for a long delay
By Tierney Sneed
Updated 11:26 AM EDT, Tue July 11, 2023





—
Former President Donald Trump and his co-defendant Walt Nauta on Monday night laid out some of the legal attacks they’ll potentially launch against charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified information brought against them by special counsel Jack Smith.

The defendants argue the charges will give rise to “unprecedented” pre-trial disputes that will require US District Judge Aileen Cannon to weigh in on legal questions that have likely never been put before a court before.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, left, and former President Donald Trump
From Mike Pence to 'fake' electors, here's who has testified to the January 6 grand jury or met with prosecutors
The defense also suggests it won’t be possible to seat a fair jury while the presidential campaign is underway – a hint that Trump may ultimately ask for a post-election trial date, though Monday’s filing did not propose any specific schedule.

“This extraordinary case presents a serious challenge to both the fact and perception of our American democracy,” Trump’s and Nauta’s legal teams wrote in the joint filing. “The Court now presides over a prosecution advanced by the administration of a sitting President against his chief political rival, himself a leading candidate for the Presidency of the United States.”

The special counsel wants the case to go to trial in mid-December. Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include obstruction-related allegations in addition to the accusations that Trump illegally retained national defense information.

Here are some of the pre-trial issues Trump and Nauta may raise in the case:

Does the Presidential Records Act and “various criminal statutes” require the case’s dismissal?
Trump and his allies have claimed that the Presidential Records Act – passed after the Watergate scandal to dictate how a former president is obligated to turn over records from his or her administration upon their departure from the White House – actually shields his alleged behavior.

Not surprisingly, his lawyers say they’ll pursue that argument in a motion to dismiss the case, claiming those legal questions have “never been addressed by any court.”

Legal experts have thoroughly debunked the claims Trump has made about the PRA so far.

Did the special counsel have the authority to bring the charges?
The defendants’ filing says that they may bring “Constitutional and statutory challenges relative to the authority of the Special Counsel to maintain this action (additional issues of first impression for this Court).”

The filing did not elaborate on what the scope of those arguments could take, but when Trump faced an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into his campaign’s links to Russia, he claimed that the “The appointment of the Special Counsel is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL!”

When such arguments were made in court against Mueller’s authority by another entity charged in the Russia probe, a Trump-appointed judge upheld Mueller’s appointment and prosecutorial powers.

Were the documents in question actually classified?
Trump and Nauta say “the classification status of the documents and their purported impact on national security interests” are a potential pretrial issue that will need to be dealt with.

Trump has claimed at times that he declassified the documents in question, though his lawyers have stopped short of making such assertions in legal filings. The charges Smith brought, however, do not necessarily turn on whether the materials were classified.

How will the classified material be handled in the case?
The defendants previewed opposition to prosecutors using “any ‘secret’ evidence in a case of this nature.”

This appears to be a reference to the procedures that will be hashed out, under a relevant law, for how the classified materials will be handled during the trial and whether they will be shielded from public view. Trump and Nauta say they won’t know how much of a dispute over these procedures there will be until they have a chance to review the classified discovery.

But they said that they “believe there should simply be no ‘secret’ evidence, nor any facts concealed from public view relative to the prosecution of a leading Presidential candidate by his political opponent.”

The first hearing on how to handle the classified documents is scheduled for next Tuesday.

Will there be other discovery matters that need to be addressed?
The Monday night filing gave new insight into what evidence the Smith team has handed over to the defendants so far, as they suggested that at some point they’ll have to make additional discovery requests.

In just the first discovery production, which did not include any of the classified materials in the case, prosecutors gave the defense roughly nine months of closed-circuit TV footage, according to the new filing, as well as 428,300 records that include 122,650 emails and 305,670 documents.

Can a fair jury even be seated during a presidential election?
Without saying explicitly that they’ll seek a post-election trial date, Trump and Nauta raised the notion that it may not even be possible to seat a jury while the presidential campaign is underway.

“Here, there is simply no question any trial of this action during the pendency of a Presidential election will impact both the outcome of that election and, importantly, the ability of the Defendants to obtain a fair trial,” the filing said.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/11/politics/trump-classified-documents-legal-attack/index.html

Special Council says not so fast-first hearing July 18th

First hearing on classified documents will be July 18 after special counsel accuses Trump co-defendant of seeking ‘unnecessary’ delay
Katelyn Polantz
By Tierney Sneed and Katelyn Polantz, CNN
Updated 9:47 AM EDT, Tue July 11, 2023




CNN
—
The first hearing before US District Judge Aileen Cannon in the federal criminal case against Donald Trump will be on July 18, according to a court order.

The hearing will be about handling classified information in the case – the first of likely many proceedings on this topic – and may not be fully conducted in public because of the sensitivity around the issues.

The date was set after a fight on Monday where special counsel Jack Smith suggested Trump and co-defendant Walt Nauta were trying to create an “unnecessary” delay by moving it from this coming Friday.


The spat highlights how even the most incremental, procedural developments in the historic federal criminal case against Trump and Nauta could become mired in disputes – especially when it comes to scheduling as prosecutors want to go to trial in less than six months and Trump lawyers have been adept at delaying other legal fights he’s facing.

Walt Nauta, aid to former President Donald Trump, follows Trump as they board his airplane, known as Trump Force One, in route to Iowa at Palm Beach International Airport on Monday, March 13, in West Palm Beach, FL.
Trump aide Walt Nauta pleads not guilty to charges of mishandling classified documents
In Nauta’s filing requesting the delay, the Trump aide cited a bench trial that his main lawyer, Stanley Woodward, has in Washington, DC, this week as the reason for proposing a delay.

Smith fired back in his filing that Nauta has provided no reason why his Florida-based lawyer, Sasha Dadan, couldn’t handle the hearing.

“An indefinite continuance is unnecessary, will inject additional delay in this case, and is contrary to the public interest,” the Smith team said in their filing.

In a new filing later Monday, Trump’s defense team and the special counsel’s office said July 18 would be an agreeable date for the first appearance.

In the fight over when the coming hearing on classified procedures should take place, Nauta claims he had “little notice” that prosecutors were going to bring the charges in the Southern District of Florida – where he would be required to have an attorney licensed in the Sunshine State – and said his DC attorney’s initial inability to get notices from the docket until then hampered his efforts to flag the scheduling conflict.

Nauta also raised his defense team’s lack of security clearances as an issue, while claiming that it was not reasonable to expect his new Florida-based attorney to take the lead on the matters slated for discussion at Friday’s hearing “barely a week after she has been retained by Mr. Nauta.”

Smith’s team shot back that Woodward, the DC-based lawyer, has yet to fill out the form required in the security clearance process.

“Almost a month has passed since the grand jury returned its indictment. There is a strong public interest in the conference occurring as originally scheduled and the case proceeding as expeditiously as possible,” the Smith team said.

While Trump entered his not guilty plea in the case on June 13, Nauta was only able to enter his not guilty plea last week due in part to delays in retaining a Florida counsel.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/10/poli...classified-procedures-hearing/index.html

I think it only makes sense that he would try to delay the case moving forward. His main hope at this point is that he will be re-elected so he can pardon himself just like he did some of his buddies who got caught up in criminal behavior that surrounded the previous trump administration.

Judge sets a trial date for next May in Trump’s classified documents case in Florida

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Florida has scheduled a trial date for next May for former President Donald Trump in a case charging him with illegally retaining hundreds of classified documents.

The May 20, 2024, trial date, set Friday by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, is a compromise between a request from prosecutors to set the trial for this December and a bid by defense lawyers to put it off indefinitely until sometime after the 2024 presidential election.

If the date holds, it would follow close on the heels of a separate New York trial for Trump on dozens of state charges of falsifying business records in connection with an alleged hush money payment to a porn actor. It also means the trial will not start until deep into the presidential nominating calendar and probably well after the Republican nominee is clear — though before that person is officially nominated at the Republican National Convention.

In pushing back the trial from the Dec. 11 start date that the Justice Department had asked for, Cannon wrote that “the Government’s proposed schedule is atypically accelerated and inconsistent with ensuring a fair trial.” She agreed with defense lawyers that the amount of evidence that would need to be sifted through before the trial, including classified information, was “voluminous.”

“The Court finds that the interests of justice served by this continuance outweigh the best interest of the public and Defendants in a speedy trial,” Cannon wrote.

Trump could yet face additional trials in the coming year. He revealed this week that he had received a letter informing him that he was a target of a separate Justice Department investigation into efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election, an indication that charges could be coming soon. And prosecutors in Georgia plan to announce charging decisions within weeks in an investigation into attempts by Trump and his allies to subvert the vote in that state.

The trial before Cannon would take place in a federal courthouse in Fort Pierce.

It arises from a 38-count indictment last month, filed by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, that accused Trump of willfully hoarding classified documents, including top secret records, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach and conspiring with his valet, Walt Nauta, to hide them from investigators who demanded them back.

Trump and Nauta have both pleaded not guilty.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-cl...3obbpAbm-n1FBwVGWNZjOSGiI66EwQ6awM0Kdc1E

If the Goper’s nominate this criminal for POTUS again they’re all idiots. Lol

Unless he backs out, he'll get nominated.

And lose again. Don’t forget that bit. Only way he wins is cheating.

Smith has added additional charges and filed against another Mar a Lago employee

Updated July 27, 2023, 7:34 PM EDT
By NBC News
Here’s the latest on the investigation into Donald Trump:
A new indictment was filed today in connection with the ongoing prosecution by special counsel Jack Smith of Trump and a top aide, adding charges against the former president for his handling of classified documents after he left the White House. The new, or superseding, indictment also charges Carlos De Oliveira, a maintenance worker at Mar-a-Lago who helped move boxes in of classified documents.
Trump announced last week that he received a letter notifying him he is the target of a grand jury examining the Jan. 6 riot and efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the other probe being led by Smith.
Members of the grand jury in the Jan. 6 investigation were spotted at the courthouse today. A court official said later in the day that no indictments had been returned and that none were expected. Members of the grand jury were seen leaving the courthouse around 4:30 p.m.
NBC News reported that Trump's lawyers met with Smith's office and were advised to expect an indictment, but Trump and a spokesman rebutted that report as being incorrect.
3m ago / 7:34 PM EDT
Attempt to delete footage could damage Trump argument that he was entitled to the documents
Laura Jarrett

The latest charges accusing Trump and his staff of trying to delete surveillance camera footage provide prosecutors with a significant new tool to bolster their story to the jury.

According to the superseding indictment, after Trump is served with a grand jury subpoena to return the classified materials, Carlos DeOliveira allegedly told the Director of IT at the club that ‘’the boss’ wanted the server deleted.”

The former president’s defense has consistently taken some form of — I had the right to possess the documents (despite no longer being president).

But if prosecutors can prove he and others engaged in a conspiracy to delete footage in order to thwart federal efforts to locate the documents, that adds a new dimension to the story that was missing previously.

Prosecutors aren’t required to prove a defendant’s motive, but attempting to delete the video footage (assuming DOJ can show that), would strengthen the overall obstruction case, as well as providing evidence towards his consciousness of guilt on the alleged retention of the classified materials.



Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she "heard on the phone" about the superseding indictment involving Trump, his aide Walt Nauta and a new defendant, Carlos De Oliveira.

“I mean, everyday we keep hearing there’s going to be another indictment about January 6, and overturning the election," Pelosi said during remarks at the Voters of America Summit after describing how she heard the news about Trump on her way to the event.

She added that Trump's supporters "think he is above the law."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/live-blog/trump-grand-jury-indictment-rcna96233

Geez, another nail in his coffin..

This is shoveling dirt on it.

Sadly, that's true, but it is what needs done. If he hadn't done what he's accused of, he wouldn't have to deal with it.

US says Trump ordered video deleted, charges second employee in documents case

WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - Donald Trump ordered employees at his Florida resort to delete security videos as he was under investigation for retaining classified documents, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday as they broadened the case against the former president and charged a second member of his staff with helping to hide documents.

U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith filed three new criminal counts against Trump, bringing the total to 40, and charged a maintenance worker at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, Carlos De Oliveira, with conspiracy to obstruct justice, accusing him of helping Trump to hide documents.

De Oliveira, 56, told another worker at the resort where Trump lives that "the boss" wanted security videos of the property in Florida deleted after the Justice Department subpoenaed them.

Prosecutors also charged De Oliveira with lying to the FBI during a voluntary interview, falsely claiming he had no involvement in moving boxes of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

"Never saw nothing," De Oliveira told the agents, according to the indictment.

De Oliveira's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The charges were made public hours after Trump said his attorneys met with the Justice Department officials investigating his attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, in a sign that another set of criminal charges could come soon.

"This is nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him," Trump's campaign said in a statement.

Trump pleaded not guilty in Miami last month to federal charges of unlawfully retaining the classified government documents after leaving office in 2021 and obstructing justice. Prosecutors accused him of risking some of the most sensitive U.S. national security secrets.

Trump is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges and has already been indicted twice this year, once in New York over hush-money payments to a porn star and once already over the classified documents.

REPUBLICAN FRONT-RUNNER IN 2024 ELECTION CAMPAIGN

The charges have not hurt Trump's standing as the front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination to challenge President Biden in the 2024 election.

On the contrary, Trump's lead over nearest rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has grown. A Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this month showed Trump leading DeSantis 47%-19% among Republicans, a wider lead than his 44%-29% lead before the first indictment in New York in March.

Trump is scheduled to go to trial in March 2024 in New York and May 2024 in Florida, at which point the Republican nomination may already be decided. Special Counsel Smith's team said in a separate filing that they would work to ensure the new charges would not delay the trial.

Prosecutors filed additional charges against another Trump aide, Walt Nauta. Nauta pleaded not guilty earlier this month to charges he helped the former president hide documents.

According to the new indictment, Nauta and De Oliveira moved 64 boxes of records to Trump's residence after the Justice Department subpoenaed Trump for any classified records in May 2022. They later returned only 30 of them for inspection by Evan Corcoran, a Trump attorney who asked to review their contents to comply with the subpoena.

De Oliveira is due to appear in court in Miami on Monday.

Prosecutors also said they recovered the document involved in an incident in which Trump, bragged about a "plan of attack" against another country in an interview at his New Jersey golf resort.

According to the indictment, Trump explained the document was highly classified. Nobody else in the room had the authority to examine it, Smith wrote.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ne...1vKuh82H3jdUrhdGKa7GyQotGMYFxHgY6_qgcmtM

Trump says it’s ‘unpleasant’ to discuss indictments with Melania

Former President Trump says he’s not a fan of sharing news about his multiple criminal indictments with his wife, Melania Trump.

“It’s always unpleasant when you have to go in and tell your wife that, ‘By the way, tomorrow sometime I’m going to be indicted,’” the 45th president said during a Friday interview on “The John Fredericks Show.”

Trump continued the reenactment of a supposed conversation between him and the former first lady about the multiple probes.

“And she says, ‘For what?’ And I say, ‘I have no idea. I have absolutely no idea,’” he said.

On Thursday, the Justice Department accused Trump in a superseding indictment of attempting to delete surveillance footage at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida related to his classified records case, which is scheduled to go to trial in May.

Last week, Trump announced he had been informed he is a target in the Justice Department investigation into his efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election.

The ex-commander in chief in April pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts in New York, and he also faces another potential looming indictment in Georgia.

Asked by Fredericks on Friday how his family, including his wife and 17-year-old son, Barron, were “holding up” in light of the multiple criminal cases, Trump said he attempts to put barriers between them and the legal drama.

“Well, I try to keep them shielded and out of it,” he said.

“I just stay away from the standpoint of this.”

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-kn...OlNx2pgtGWFUiLVo8fHDzfWsUwApKkIGCBrSxVHw

What has he done with them? Locked them in a dungeon with no TV? Lol… As if a 17 year old and his mother doesn’t have access to world news and other media outlets. This guy is just plain stupid. Like all his MAGA followers. Stupid is as stupid does.

He has no idea my butt. He knows what he did.

Regarding obstruction. You cannot be more guilty.

He obviously knew what he had. He obviously obstructed the process of the government to get their documents back.

Guilty.

The "Let's do this at my house" request?

Trump wants the Justice Department to set up a secure facility where he can discuss materials he allegedly mishandled

Trump's lawyers said it would be more cost effective to "re-establish" a sensitive compartmented information facility, or SCIF, at his Florida resort than to travel to one.

Donald Trump's lawyers on Wednesday asked a federal judge in Florida to order the government to "re-establish" a secure facility at his Mar-a-Lago resort where they could safely discuss the national security documents prosecutors say he illegally kept there.

In a court filing to U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Chris Kise asked for the accommodation after arguing special counsel Jack Smith's proposed protective order on how they can discuss the sensitive materials recovered from the former president's home was too onerous.

"This request is based on the immense practical and logistical hurdles and costs that make it virtually impossible for President Trump to make regular trips to a public facility to discuss classified discovery material with counsel as necessary to conduct a defense consistent with the rights afforded by the Constitution," their filing said.

Smith's office said in a filing last month that Trump and his lawyers should stick to the established protocol for discussing the documents — going to a court-approved sensitive compartmented information facility, or SCIF. "The government is not aware of any case in which a defendant has been permitted to discuss classified information in a private residence, and such exceptional treatment would not be consistent with the law," the July filing said.

Blanche and Kise called that argument "misleading," citing the "uniqueness of President Trump’s residence, including that it is in a highly protected location guarded by federal agents that previously housed a secure facility approved for not only the discussion, but also the retention, of classified information."

They acknowledged that facility was "decertified" in early 2021. Trump was charged in June with mishandling more than 100 classified documents, including holding on to sensitive materials that he knew were classified after he left the White House. The indictment alleged that national security documents were stored at times in different parts of the resort, including a ballroom stage and a bathroom.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case.

In Wednesday's filing, Blanche and Kise contended that a Mar-a-Lago SCIF would save the government money given "the logistical hurdles and incredible resources that will be required every time President Trump travels to one of the government’s contemplated SCIFs."

"Efforts to safely transport and protect President Trump—all of which are required by the Secret Service—cost the United States government and state and local municipalities hundreds of thousands of dollars per visit, which is significantly more than the fixed amount necessary to re-establish the secure area at which President Trump (and his lawyers) were once permitted to discuss classified information," they said.

The filing stressed that a Mar-a-Lago SCIF would only be used to discuss classified material and that Trump is not asking permission to review or store any documents in that location.

The special counsel's office declined comment on the filing; Trump's attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.

Both sides are due in court Thursday before a magistrate judge for an arraignment on the superseding indictment alleging Trump was part of a scheme to delete subpoenaed security video in the case.

Trump, who is not required or expected to attend the hearing, has entered a not guilty plea via his lawyers. His two co-defendants — Trump aide Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago employee Carlos De Oliveira — are expected to attend in person.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/do...AGXEU_l9hEDfdWo_GjYwBuHfnKdjGrycjYTrtR3I

And Republicans claim it's the democrats who have a sense of entitlement.

Trump was warned the FBI could search Mar-a-Lago if he didn't comply with subpoena for classified docs

The FBI ultimately searched the Florida estate in August of last year and recovered more than 100 classified documents, which led to criminal charges against the former president.

Former President Donald Trump was warned by one of his lawyers in May of last year that the FBI could search his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida if he didn't comply with a grand jury subpoena that requested the return of classified documents, NBC News has confirmed.

Trump was informed of the possibility of an FBI search by attorney Evan Corcoran, who met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago shortly after the subpoena was issued, ABC News first reported on Wednesday.

Corcoran detailed their meeting in a series of voice memos on his phone the following day, according to ABC, which said it reviewed copies of transcripts of the recordings.

Corcoran also noted in the recordings that minutes after he had met with Trump, he met with another lawyer of the former president by a Mar-a-Lago pool who warned that Trump is "just going to go ballistic" if Corcoran pushed Trump to comply with the subpoena, ABC reported.

NBC News has not seen copies of the transcripts or heard the audio of Corcoran's recordings, but confirmed with a source familiar with the matter the existence of the transcript of the voice memo dealing with Corcoran's warning Trump of a potential FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. Trump's presidential campaign and Corcoran did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for comment.

In a statement to ABC News, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung appeared to dismiss the report.

"The attorney-client privilege is one of the oldest and most fundamental principles in our legal system, and its primary purpose is to promote the rule of law," he said. "Whether attorneys’ notes are detailed or not makes no difference — these notes reflect the legal opinions and thoughts of the lawyer, not the client."

Trump “offered full cooperation with DOJ, and told the key DOJ official, in person, ‘Anything you need from us, just let us know,'" Cheung added.

The FBI, however, ultimately searched the Florida estate on Aug. 8, 2022 and recovered more than 100 classified documents. At the time, Trump described the search as an "unannounced raid on my home" that he said "was not necessary or appropriate."

"These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,” Trump said in a statement at the time.

Corcoran's voice memos have become a key piece of evidence in special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents, ABC News reported. The probe led to Trump initially being charged in June in a 37-count federal indictment, accusing him of willfully retaining national defense information, making false statements and representations, conspiring to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document, concealing a document in a federal investigation and a scheming to conceal.

The indictment appears to cite from Corcoran’s notes and testimony statements that Trump made about the boxes of classified documents, although Corcoran is not named in the document.

"I don’t want anybody looking, I don’t want anybody looking through my boxes, I really don’t, I don’t want you looking through my boxes," Trump allegedly said, according to the indictment, which noted that one of the attorneys had "memorialized" the former president's statements.

"Well what if we, what happens if we just don’t respond at all or don’t play ball with them?" Trump also said, according to the indictment.

"Wouldn’t it be better if we just told them we don’t have anything here?" he said, according to the document.

At the end of July, a superseding federal indictment was filed that also brought new charges against Trump in the case, alleging that he was part of a scheme to delete security video to try to cover up efforts to hide the classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

Asked about the voice memos, a spokesperson for the special counsel's office told NBC on Wednesday that they declined to comment beyond the what was in the indictment in the case.

The federal judge overseeing the case decided in July that the criminal trial will begin on May 20 of next year in Fort Pierce, Florida.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/do...v8MYGspZNRS9KdjCowouvaC7FVy30PbBHDtclILs

Trump: ‘I’m Allowed to Do Whatever I Want’ With Classified Info
Peter Wade
Wed, September 6, 2023 at 1:37 PM EDT·4 min read


Donald Trump said he “absolutely” plans to testify in the federal government’s case against him regarding classified documents he removed from the White House. “I’m allowed to do whatever I want … I’m allowed to do everything I did,” the former president told conservative podcast host Hugh Hewitt.

In an interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show” that dropped Wednesday, the host asked Trump, “Did you direct anyone to move the boxes, Mr. President? Did you tell anyone to move the boxes?” referring to the boxes of more than 300 classified documents the federal government seized last year from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

“I don’t talk about anything. You know why? Because I’m allowed to do whatever I want. I come under the Presidential Records Act,” Trump replied, while also taking a quick detour to bash Hewitt. “I’m not telling you. You know, every time I talk to you, ‘Oh, I have a breaking story.’ You don’t have any story. I come under the Presidential Records Act. I’m allowed to do everything I did.”

Trump has long been misrepresenting what is allowed under the Presidential Records Act.

The law states: “Upon the conclusion of a President’s term of office, or if a President serves consecutive terms upon the conclusion of the last term, the Archivist of the United States shall assume responsibility for the custody, control, and preservation of, and access to, the Presidential records of that President.” There is an allowance for presidents to keep records that are of “a purely private or nonpublic character” and unrelated to presidential duties, but many of the documents Trump was found to possess came from government agencies, such as the C.I.A. and Department of Defense. Trump even bragged on tape post-presidency about holding on to plans for war with Iran.

When Hewitt asked Trump if he would testify in his own defense at the trial in the documents case, the former president said, “That, I would do. That, I look forward to, because that’s just like Russia, Russia, Russia. That’s all the fake information from Russia, Russia, Russia. Remember when the dossier came out and everyone said, ‘Oh, that’s so terrible, that’s so terrible,’ and then it turned out to be it was a political report put out by Hillary Clinton and the DNC. They paid millions for it. They gave it to Christopher Steele. They paid millions and millions of dollars for it, and it was all fake. It was all fake.”

“So I look forward, I look forward to testifying. At trial, I’ll testify,” Trump added. Of course, Trump loves to talk a big game, and we likely won’t know if he will actually testify until next year. The classified documents trial is set to begin in May 2024.

Hewitt followed up by asking, “If you do [testify] and they ask you on the stand, did you order anyone to move boxes, how will you answer?”

“I’m not answering that question for you,” Trump said, “but I’m totally covered under the law.”

In addition to discussing his legal troubles, Hewitt asked Trump for his thoughts on an unrelated topic: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. “I know that they don’t like me,” Trump said. “I said that I don’t think they are very appropriate what they’re saying, what they’re doing, and I didn’t like the way she dealt with the queen.”

Trump added that he would “love to debate” Markle.



https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-m-allowed-whatever-want-173709203.html

"I can do whatever I want."

That is how trump looks at life on earth. "I can grab them by the *ussy." You can do that when you are a star.

I can remain in office when I was voted out. I can sexually harass women.

I can falsify records to gain more loans. I can hack voting machines and pressure voting officials to find votes I don't have.

I can cheat at golf because I own the course. I can make fun of physically disabled people because that's funny.

I don't pay people because I don't want to. I can use the office of the presidency for personal gain.

I can do whatever I want because my name is trump.

I should be president because I want to. I represent the republican party because gop voters believe me.

It's important to note, any lawyer who knows anything would NEVER allow trump to testify. That's suicide.

Lol….We all know what happens when trump proclaims he’s going to do a thing. He doesn’t do it.

Not to mention employee #4 is flipping right now and cooperating with the special counsel. Lol

That’s what happens when somebody gets to go through life with zero accountability.

I can’t even be mad a Trump. We literally reward people in this country for unchecked, unlimited ambition and entitlement.

No kidding. trump is just the by product of a broken society with a sole ambition for power, greed, and me,me,me.

I can't disagree with you at all.

I would like to add, though, that I do hold a lot of resentment against the Democrats for 2016. If they had not gamed their own system for the one person so unlikeable that Trump could actually beat her, we might not even be having these conversations. Now we have to live with the fallout of 2016's perfect storm.

So you are PO at the democrats for Hillary but not the GOP for trump. Got it.

And the troll beat keeps going on. If you've gotten that from that post, combined with all the myriad of other posts I've made about Trump, then you need to take remedial reading courses.

As someone who voted for Hillary in 2016, I agree with you. I still despise her lack of integrity and just assuming she was gonna win.

But it’s always hilarious that democrats pay the price for a display of entitlement, yet republicans are glorified for it.

Again, won't disagree with you at all there.

BULL.

The dems rigged the system for Hillary, and I voted for the socialist Bernie in the primary because I have so much disdain for Hillary.

Hillary could barely beat a socialist, and we got Trump as a result and that was worse.

How?

Yeah I agree. I think a lot of people felt that way and Trump was still somewhat of an unknown at the time. After people saw enough of him I think a lot of people - myself included - went “Okay, yeah, we can’t have this guy again” in 2020. I think there were probably a significant amount of voters who voted for Biden just to get rid of Trump. And now the GOP seems like it wants to have him back on the ticket.

*shrug*

And now they're giving RFK the Bernie treatment. His votes won't be counted, his delegates will go to Biden instead?

It's one thing to be corrupt, it's quite another when you are so corrupt that you'll rub peoples nose in it and dare them to do something about it.

What was it that Hillary did?

Everyone knows the Clintons are mass murders. Geez.

Right?!
Unknown?! I knew he was a creep in the 80’s…. A grifter his entire life… and a conman and a 1%’r that thinks of himself far more than others. These are things I knew from the time I was a teen.
But he was ‘unknown’?
Geez there’s some blind folks out there.

I'm almost positive dawglover is talking "unknown" from a political perspective.

Who did they Kill?

I…didn’t say Hillary did anything…

Hillary was Hillary. A very unlikeable candidate. The DNC wanted her to be the candidate and pretty much arranged for it to be so. That contributed a lot to Trump getting elected.

I’m not sure what you’re reading from my posts or what you think is “bull” but I’m getting the sense that you’re continuing in your “ready, fire, aim” approach…

And the troll beat goes on…

FATE got it right.

I think you and I have had enough of a good and respectful discourse on this board that I would not think that you would consider me “blind” but maybe I have that wrong.

I hated Trump. Always have, always will. I never voted for him. Never have, never will.

The issue though, and I’m expanding on a point that OCD has made in the past, which I am expanding upon, is that he was unknown from a political spectrum, and I think a lot of voters saw that in 2016, combined with the whole “outsider” notion, which propelled his victory. That, combined with the whole dynamic of Hillary being the DNC candidate, initiated the perfect storm, the fallout of which we are still experiencing.

I don’t know what part of what I’m saying seems “blind.”

And the Dems are rolling over again, lining up every legitimate candidate behind Grandpa Joe. Whitter, Klobashar, Newsome and every other plausible candidate are behind Joe. They are not doing Joe a favor, and we may get a part duex I’d the Trump train, or what will be the revenge presidency. Say bye bye to Ukraine on Jan 21 2025.

I liked Hillary. I thought she was the better candidate.. WAY BETTER... Thought so then, still do. See, I didn't buy all the crap about her running a brothel, I remember she had the guts to stand up and be interviewed (grilled) by congress for 11 hours and not complain. She's tough and smart.

Nice to know you switched your story from "clintons are mass murderers" to you just don't like Hillary.

I'm guessing you did that because you can't name anyone they killed or had killed and then BACK IT UP with proof.

Please show me anywhere in the blue hell I said they were mass murderers??? I mean WTH man???

Ready fire aim!

The voices in his head told him.

By the way, if you’re looking for emblematic problems of the left’s constituency, all you have to do is read my last few exchanges.

Had great convos with Swish and Woofer, as per usual, but holy smokes did a bunch of other people jump to some crazy ass conclusions.

I cited to something being the perfect storm in 2016, laid out all the rationale as to why, came to an accord with Swish, had a good exchange with Woofer, and now I’m somehow “blind”, believe the Clinton’s are mass murderers and don’t blame the GOP for voting for Trump. Holy smokes people.

I guess it was a big afternoon for me. Maybe I should start a cult just to round everything out.

LOL

The guy is either Captain Obvious, echoing something other people said hours before, acting like it was an original thought, or he's just clueless.

Don't get too upset, he is one of your guys.

Spiral was the one that made the comment about mass murders, not dawglover. You should really learn how to read a message board.

Dude's been off the rails for a while now. Can't read, responds to the wrong people, screams at everyone that says anything about a lib without a Trump disclaimer, responds to posts from months ago as if they happened yesterday...

Come to think of it...

Joe? Is that you??

Haha hey buddy I ain’t bent out of shape. Good to see you on here on a Saturday night. I’ve actually been taking a break here and there from getting my stupid TV hung on a stone fireplace in my new house, so this is actually a reprieve.

I’m not sure who “my guys” are. I don’t really prescribe to a banner, which apparently puts a target on my back for both firing squads.

Hillary was not a mass murderer, she had a child sex trafficking operation disguised as a Pizza joint in DC.

Get your conspiracies right.

SMH. I can’t believe those words that I typed. But some yahoo from North Carolina drove to DC to bust it up, and found a pizza joint.

That all probably started because the Clintons liked to hang with Jeffery Epstein.

Opps, sorry it was Perfect Spiral that called them that.. MY BAD

Wasn’t me that started it. It was a well known right wing conspiracy. Still being tossed around by MAGA men and women.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_body_count_conspiracy_theory

Bill did. Not so sure about Hillary. The deplorable chosen one did as well.

I guess I understand that, but it’s kinda like saying “he’s a horrible coach that’s lost every game he’s ever been involved in… but maybe he’ll make a great CEO for this company. I mean he only has a history of beating puppies in public… but I guess he’d make a great daycare worker. The fact he was caught driving drunk multiple times probably shouldn’t exclude him from being a great train conductor.”

That’s what I mean by ‘blind’

Donny is a trash human. Doesn’t matter what field he’s employed in… he’s garbage.
He’s always been garbage. Dress him in a McDonalds smock or put him in the Oval Office. Doesn’t change the man.

YOU were the one that turned a statement about $Hillary being an unlikable candidate into "Clintons are mass murderers". One, a (pretty much) undisputable fact. Another, a conspiracy theory that you propagate into a thread... so we can argue stupidity instead of intelligent discourse and conversation.

Nothing new to see here though.

From A political perspective? Lol ..His political prospectus was well known. He has always hated minorities, strong outspoken women, and people who don’t declare their loyalty to him. He loves Russians, and communism. He’s a Putan loyalist. He’s raped, stolen and committed racial discrimination. He was a known mob boss. He ran a campaign on building a wall that Mexico would pay for to keep out refugees running for their lives from violent regimes. He ran a campaign on weakening NATO instead of strengthening it. I can go on but anyone saying trump was an unknown is laughable.

What I think you have to understand is anything that shows an ounce of moderation is heavily frowned upon by a certain portion of both sides. According to some it will make you either a communist or autocrat.

This place is hilarious.

Yes, Trump was well known in political circles. And I have no idea how anyone would not embrace $Hillary with open arms.

Dawglover, twenty lashes for you -- for even suggesting anything less than the death penalty for the Don.

j/c

And still none of them have come out and addressed any of the charges and things trump has done. Speaking of same old, same old.

And now we transition from fake outrage to trolling.

Join us at 11 for the goalpost moving competition.

Did not. Someone asked what the Clintons did and I answered in jest. So you’re the one who can’t read. It’s people like you that can turn a stupid right wing conspiracy theory into something I started here. Pffft Goper’s

Less you forget about those Trump photos with Epstein and the creepy comment.. “He likes them young”

You talk about moving the goal posts to trump in a trump thread? Well alrighty then!

I know you are, but what am I?

I know it's hard to follow the bouncing ball, try not to squint so hard and just let it come naturally...

1. You made the sarcastic statement.

2. Daman took it seriously and attributed it to the wrong author.

3. Daman called out poster

4. Poster took exception

5. Daman apologized and said it was actually you that posted it.

6. You said that doesn't matter if you posted it because the theory was started by big, scary, MAGA.


And now, I'm the one turning a right wing conspiracy theory into something you started here.

Here's the litmus test, incase you're still confused. It's simple... WHY are we talking about "murderous Clintons'? Because of the conspiracy theory or because you brought it up... when you got pouty because someone called $Hillary unlikeable?

The phrase you're searching for is called willful ignorance. There was a whole thing about how Hillary had the DNC in the bag (financially, mostly). This is all known and wasn't that long ago (it was also the worst kept secret at the time.

You can certainly make hindsight arguments about Trump, but this fake outrage over pointing out Hillary was the only candidate unlikable enough to give Trump an opening is weird.

It was you that started it. It absolutely was you. You don’t contribute anything of substance in these threads at all. You piggy backed on a legit conversation and made stupid trolling points like you do in almost every thread. No substance. Just pot stirring.

In fact, I can’t remember the last time you said something that added any value.

I almost feel like I should end all my replies to you with “I award you no points and May God have mercy on your soul.”

I don’t disagree with you, at all actually. Hence I did not vote for Trump either, and I also point to my comment that I never will. What I was talking about though is from a grand, general voter level. It was my take on what happened from an objective perspective, nothing to do with what my views were.

Haha, you know the funny thing is that I wouldn’t push back on any punishment for him, but the second I mention that maybe the Dems were dumb in 2016 and whoa…

Blows my mind…can’t even believe some of the conversations I just had.

How about this, We just leave it at, NOT one thing has been proven that the Clintons had anyone killed.. EVER.. No indictments but we did have a couple of congressional inquiries with no evidence brought forward and no charges filed. I have to believe that if there was any hard evidence, (like in the Trump indictments) Republicans would have been all over it. The FBI would have had to go after them, there would have been Special Counsels all over it.

So basically, the entire idea that the Clintons had anyone killed is a steaming pile of BS. (until someone comes up with PROOF)

That's fine with me, but you may want to check with Purrfect. He may want to change the theme of the thread to hot dogs... or a venereal disease... and then blame it all on GOPers.

The fact remains, the dems were stupid in 2016.

They got all caught up in the historical significance of Hillary breaking the glass ceiling.

They forgot that people don't really vote on a candidate based on race, color, or creed. They first have to be the better candidate.

See Obama, 2008.

Everytime I hear something about a candidates race, color or creed, I cringe. Not because of their race, color or creed, but because it is trying to be used to bolster some aspect about the candidate.

Pick the best person first and foremost. Nothing else matters. Metallica reference.

Sad but True

Libtards try to forget that election and yet The Memory Remains.

Guess it’s hard to forget elections lost when the libtards actually won the majority of the popular vote. Maybe Goper’s could understand that if they lost a few elections that way. Just saying.

And Republitards, which you are certainly one of, although not most of them are, still think name calling wins them brownie points.

I certainly agree with you. Although at the current time it's both parties that are letting us down with the choices they're giving the American people. Both sides have nothing but excuses to give and rationalizations for their front runners and neither one of them are even close to the best they have to offer.

Perfect already knows

And…

A recent discovery of a new sexually transmitted disease has just given President Donald Trump his life’s latest honor.
The disease, scientifically classified as Trumporrhea trachomatis, is a mushroom-shaped bacterium that infects primarily one’s urethra, and turns the surrounding skin surface area orange in a manner that its medical discover thought bore a striking resemblance to Mr. Trump’s penchant for orange foundation makeup.
“The skin’s orange reaction in a Trumporrhea trachomatis infection tends to kind of flare out from the urethra’s opening, but in circumcised men it rarely extends to the edge of the penile head,” explained Dr. Harold Weinerman, the doctor who discovered it.

Inappropriate and classless.

I dislike the dude as much as anyone but that is uncalled for.

PSA: This is the Trump indicted again in Florida thread, not the MAGA tears about crap that doesn’t matter thread. The new thread button is what we use to change topics and distract from reality. We don’t hijack threads with this crap. None of you believe in the rules any more…

Why are you trying to move the goal posts!?

How so?