Causes.com
| 12.8.22
Trump Suspected of Violating Espionage Act
Now that you know what's in the documents - Do you support the FBI's search?
What's the story?
- The property receipt of items recovered by FBI agents searching Mar-a-Lago resort reveals former President Donald Trump is being investigated in connection with statutes related to the Espionage Act and obstruction.
- Agents removed 11 sets of classified documents, including some that were labeled top secret. The president is being investigated for breaking three federal laws: removal or destruction of records, obstructing an investigation, and violating the Espionage Act.
- The full warrant and property receipt can be found here.
“The locations to be searched include the ‘45 Office,’ all storage rooms, and all other rooms or areas within the premises used or available to be used by FPOTUS and his staff and in which boxes or documents could be stored, including all structures or buildings on the estate,” the warrant says, using the acronym “FPOTUS” to refer to the former President of the United States.
- Here's a list of what was taken from Mar-a-Lago:
- The Department of Justice is investigating if Trump broke laws against gathering, transmitting, or losing defense information; the destruction, alteration, or falsification of records; and the concealment, removal, or mutilation of records.
- The DOJ wrote in a court filing that the former president and his legal team do not object to making the search warrant public.
- The Wall Street Journal reported that "agents collected four sets of top secret documents, three sets of secret documents, and three sets of confidential documents. The list didn’t provide any more details about the substance of the documents."
- In January 2018, then-President Trump signed a law making it a felony to take and retain classified documents. Trump could face five years in prison if he's found guilty under his changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
- The Department of Justice said supports releasing four documents: the search warrant, two attachments describing to some extent what is being searched and why, and a receipt handed to Trump’s legal team documenting what was seized at the property.
- Trump had said in a statement on his social media platform that he didn't oppose their public disclosure:
"Not only will I not oppose the release of documents related to the unAmerican, unwarranted, and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago, I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents, even though they have been drawn up by radical left Democrats and possible future political opponents, who have a strong and powerful vested interest in attacking me, much as they have done for the last 6 years. Release the documents now!"
Read the motion requesting the unsealing of the documents here.
What are the classification levels?
- Top secret/SCI documents — the highest level of classification
- Top secret documents - mid-level classification
- Confidential documents — the lowest level of classification
- Compartmented - "Classified information concerning or derived from intelligence sources, methods, or analytical processes, which is required to be handled within formal access control systems established by the Director of National Intelligence."
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
-Josh Herman
(Photo: Mar-a-Lago / formulanone)
The Latest
-
The Long Arc: Taking Action in Times of Change“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” Martin Luther King Jr. Today in read more... Advocacy -
Thousands Displaced as Climate Change Fuels Wildfire Catastrophe in Los AngelesIt's been a week of unprecedented destruction in Los Angeles. So far the Palisades, Eaton and other fires have burned 35,000 read more... Environment -
Puberty, Privacy, and PolicyOn December 11, the Montana Supreme Court temporarily blocked SB99 , a law that sought to ban gender-affirming care for read more... Families -
Women Are Shaping This Election — Why Is the Media Missing It?As we reflect on the media coverage of this election season, it’s clear that mainstream outlets have zeroed in on the usual read more... Elections
Climate & Consumption
Health & Hunger
Politics & Policy
Safety & Security
It seems clear that the trump violated federal law and that there is evidence that he probably did.
Of course, we cannot just assume that he is guilty of this or of improperly using sensative top secret information for his personal benefit - that is why these warrants are normally shielded by the justice department - to protect people under investigation from public opinion until a case can be tried in court. The trump and his enablers forced the issues with dangerous rhetoric that put the lives of federal officials at risk from MAGA-cult activists who have developed a Jim Jones like fascination in the preachings of the trump.
The trump's constant complaint that the 'deep-state' is trying to discredit him is wearing very thin since, if true, the majority of the people in this county and in other countries, most of the world's national leaders and most sentient life in the universe, are all part of the 'deep-state' that is constantly out to get just the trump. Talk about narcissism!
The trump has no authority to declassify anything after 12 noon on January 20th. If he just whispered ‘declassify’ into the ether before noon on January 20th, that is insufficient to declassify especially top secret and top secret-sci documents which have rigid controls and extensive documentary procedures associated with declassification. Top secret- sci documents themselves have a tiered exceptionally highly classified identifier for the most sensitive TS-SCI classified documents. If those processes would have occurred, there would be records that the proper steps were taken. As LeslieG discovered, even if a highly classified document has been signed-off for declassification, it is not officially considered to be declassified until it it re-issued without the classification level identifiers and any documents in existence that still have the classification identifiers are still considered to be classified. This is a BFD.
The fact that the FBI case referenced was prefaced by the designator ‘WF’ indicates that the investigation is associated with the Washington Field Office - that is the office where all of the most sensitive espionage investigations are centered - and there has to be probable cause that some violation of the espionage act may have occurred. This is an even bigger BFD.
Personally, I do not hate the trump, I pity him and his delusional sociopathic narcissism. I do hate most of he things that he has done. When he was first elected, I hoped that he would rise to the occasion and act presidentially for the benefit of the country and the people. He did not, and I also hate the debris field left in his wake that the country still has to wade through and reckon with.
Presidents owned their own records prior to the Presidential Records Act (PRA) (1978) which governs the maintenance of presidential records after former President Richard Nixon sought to destroy recordings made in the White House that documented activities related to the Watergate scandal.
Now Presidents need to work with National Archives to change classification status, private versus public document ownership, etc which Obama did when he left office. All recorded were moved to a Federal facility in Chicago where National Archives took possession of documents and memorabilia to sort through the release to private status for use in the Obama Presidential Myseum and other private collections like universities museums, etc.
When a president leaves office, the archivist takes custody of the records from that administration and is responsible for their preservation and for providing access to the public, according to a Congressional Research Service report.
PRA allows a sitting president to dispose of official records only after consulting with the archivist.
A president doesn’t have “the right to decide for himself that he will take boxes containing presidential records to his own residence after he leaves office, even if it is allegedly for the purpose of transferring them to a presidential library.”
The Archivist alone is decides where those records will be housed,
PRA allows for personal records to be classified separately from official presidential records and that “the President has a high degree of discretion over what materials are to be preserved under the PRA.”
Prior to the PRA (1978) from George Washington through Jimmy Carter, the papers of a presidential administration were considered the private property of a president to do with as they saw fit.
Most commanders-in-chief have donated their presidential papers, a precedent started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940. That continued until the 1970s when President Richard Nixon fought to destroy his records, including secret tape recordings
Tens of thousands of Obama's documents were transported to Chicago. But these items were shipped to a federal government facility — which is what's supposed to happen with a president's records. Federal law requires that presidents and their administrations keep a detailed collection of emails, documents, and even gifts from their time in office since all of those things are actually the property of the American people.
In Obama's case, the National Archives took legal ownership of Obama's documents and then began the long process of sorting through the material before the public could request it years later. Some of this material was then turned over to Obama's presidential library, which is the standard legal process.
https://www.causes.com/comments/33837
https://www.causes.com/comments/33413
https://www.causes.com/comments/33089
https://www.causes.com/comments/32785
https://www.causes.com/comments/33681
https://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/laws/1978-act.html
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46129
https://www.businessinsider.com/why-obama-allowed-take-white-house-records-but-not-trump-2022-8
The orange menace is at it again! So he riled up his base and now they are targeting the FBI and DOJ. When will they learn? He could care less about them other than to keep them riled up and sending him money! He sets them up to do his bidding then abandons them. He is such a sorry excuse of a human being.
He has committed so many crimes as a president but yet nobody would do anything about it. Now that we have even more evidence it's about time to put this menace behind bars.
tRump has not served a consequence for anything he has done. I am glad the DOJ is taking our National Security seriously and taking action to investigate.
Now, when we we also get serious about:
Jan. 6th insurrection
Sexual assault
Emoluments clause violation
Hatch violations
Crimes committed in connection with Ukraine
Nepotism
COVID response
Use of DOJ as a personal attorney
Acts of obstruction
Firing of Comey
Separation of children from their families
Use of private email
Flushing documents down WH toilets
Wall Street Journal account of unsealed warrant & property list from Mar-a-Lago
FBI Mar-a-Lago search 7-page document containing:
- a search and seizure warrant warrant signed by US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart
-3 page list of items taken
Retrieved boxes included 11 sets of classified documents but doesn’t include the topics of the documents
-four sets of top secret (TS) documents
-three sets of secret (SCI) documents
-three sets of confidential documents.
Other items recovered in the 20 boxes:
-binders of photos
-a handwritten note and the execu-tive grant of clemency for Roger Stone
-information about the “President of France
Trump’s lawyers are claiming the documents were declassified but the process of removing them from the National Archives list and regenerating each page with its security markings had not occurred so the documents in the boxes are still classified.
https://www.causes.com/comments/33413
https://www.causes.com/comments/33089
https://www.causes.com/comments/32785
https://www.causes.com/comments/33681
https://www.wsj.com/articles/fbi-recovered-eleven-sets-of-classified-documents-in-trump-search-inventory-shows-11660324501
I really didn't like Trump, but this is all very disturbing. We've had presidents in the the past who taken documents meant for the Archives with them. No such action occurred in those instances. So why now, after more than a year and a half of leaving office? The most disturbing detail though, is that the White House was unaware this was even occurring, which begs the question...just who, exactly, is really in charge and runs the show? Obviously it is NOT the President. The implications of this are vast. These are actions that are reminiscent of real coups, and has been taken under the direction of the administrative state who must be held to account. This does NOT happen in a free and fair democracy and the fact that it has, highly suggests that that is not what we are now living in, and if we do nothing to correct this, we never will.
Because Trump is a CON
OMG! 8/22/22 ...
NYT bombshell! Among other things, dump PERSONALLY inspected 'his' 'secret' docs as late as the end of last year! Buckle Up!
#TossTheTexasTaliban
#TossWilkesAndDunn
Women, I need some help here!
Women Have Rights so
Abort Abbott Instead!
#VoteBlue22
@jimK. Saying Trump was not entitled to documents, gifts and momentous is not a fact. He can declassify and take it. They are not the property of the National Archives. Regardless, Trump let them into his house twice to go through documents and cooperated till they spoke to a lawyer in August. He's been out of office for over a year an a half. They've seen everything they wanted till the raid. How long is someone suppose to put up with these invasions? For life? Have we heard of any of the last presidents being scrutinized like this, although some should have been.
Though you don't like to talk about it or admit it, Hillary comes to mind. The fact that she took antique furniture is one. But that's minor. To suggest what she did wasn't any different than most of Trumps cabnet is outrageous. Hillary has been around for a long long time. You can't convince me she didn't know it was illegal for her to have a server that she used for confidential information "In Her House"! You can't tell me a "Law Graduate" didn't know NOT to smash her blackberry and computer and bleach bit it. And "After" being served a sopena. I wonder how much confidential information was exposed from that that wasn't encrypted to prevent potential criminal acts from being serviced and/or spied on from our enemies around the world. Even Comey admitted there were crimes. Only thing is Comey is for Comey, another snake in the grass. Hillary attended all the investigations but barely answered any questions. I know because I watched. It was a farce. Everytime she was to answer a question she would look up at the panel with her smug sarcastic smirk and barely said anything as Dems on the panel would interrupt in one way or another in her defense. All of it was a joke and waste of the tax payers money. You say no one found any guilt of malicious acts beyond the inappropriate use of private email accounts. "It wasn't malicious to smash her computer and blackberry and bleach bit it after getting a sopena? It's not malicious to destroy evidence?!!! Your right about one thing. There's NO equality in consequences! Billy Boy Clinton took video tapes and refused to hand them over. I forgot the rediculous answer but the FBI didn't want to push it. So he got to keep it, end of that story!
The Steele Dossier! That was a real winner. Or so Democrats hoped! Normally opponent's investigate each other. Whether it's in the same party or of opposite parties. Republicans did start it and stop when they saw where the democrats were going with it. Steele is a double agent. Hillary is anything but innocent of any involvement as her campaign manager knew a lot an did a lot with her knowledge. They took Steeles reports to the FISA court without legitimacy and once the judges signed off on it Dems ran with it. To this day FISA court judges say if they knew what they know now about the false dossier they would have never signed off on it. A lot of republicans were falsely accused of a lot of things because of this dossier. And when the FBI couldn't get what they wanted out of these people, which was to falsely say something about Trump, then they would get them on something else like tax evasion or some other trumped up charge. Which for white collar crimes, most likely get a fine. But not to people who know or support Trump. Democrats have to see to it to ruin people's lives. They get raided people in the early morning in there underwear with guns in their's and their wife's faces, searched there house and thrown him in jail. Of coarse the party didn't start till CNN got there to report it all. They put another in solitary confinement for a year. They took another off an airplane, shackle him and took him to jail. They took anothers phone from him to check out while he was on vacation with his family and won't let him call his lawyer. When asked why their doing this they responded by saying "because we can". And now for the first time, the raiding of a Presidents home. These are the ways democrats treat there opponents. You never saw Trump go after Hillary to "lock her up"! But he should have.
The Muller Report ... another joke! Making Muller the face of this investigation is the same as making Joe Biden the face of the presidency. There just symbols with no knowledge of who put them there or why. I guess some people go on the theory of the glass being half empty or half full. I agree with Alura and presume someone innocent till proven guilty. Also he wasn't exonerated because he wasn't found guilty. And just like then you want more time to prove Trump is guilty of SOMETHING! If you can't have it then you go on a fishing expedition.
I did not know or ever heard of what your saying about Paul Manaford. He went to jail over taxes. You mention him fooling the people of Ukraine. That's funny. That's where Hunter was on a crooked board of directors at Burisma where he made a couple million. I remember when the Big Guy, Joe, threatened Ukraine with millions of dollars from the US unless they fire the lawyer who was investigating this crooked company called Burisma. He gave them 6 hours till he left the country. And like he said, "Son of a Bitch, they did"! He was so proud of himself. In other words Hunter got to keep his phony job he wasn't qualified to do to make another million or two. And the Big Guy Joe got away with black male. But Trump gets impeached for telling Valinski to let him know of anything illegal or fraud. Bannon ... I know he deals around the world but I don't know enough to talk about it. But I will say you make him sound a lot like your Marxist leader George Soros.
Finally, do you really want to talk about republicans and inside trading when Pauly Sr. most likely has been getting inside information from the Speaker of the House for years?
Your proclamation of Democrats only having molehills is laughable to say the least! If Democrats were brought to justice for all they've done John Denver would be singing from heaven Rocky Mountain High!!!
Trump needs to be held accountable! Trump upped the penalty for having these documents! Now it's time to show that he is not above the law!
Way too early in investigation to justify search warrant.
Most probable political stance here that will be deemed inappropriate along with other unfounded acts by Democrats.
Don't allow Frm President Trump a way out ... protect our FBI as well CIA an most of all US Secret Service because he's going to come after them !!! The Democrats must do more for we the people to defeat an defending all of the constitution an by the Oath they swore by incite the ones like Mc Carthy an strengthen our DOJ as well don't allow another much worse than Jan 6 or 9/11 happen ever on our soil ever Trump is a lie !!! Don't allow him to the the Prudently !!!
I understand a president doesn't sign anything to declassify. There's no procedures or protocol that applies. He can order to declassify all the way out the door. Also, they don't pack there own boxes and they have up to six hours to leave before the next president comes in.
This raid and the fight to bring down Trump seems to have more to do than taking him out of running for office anymore. People think that he might have declassified documents that could be of those reasponsible for the Russia Collusion, Hunter's laptop, who's behind Whitmore's attempted murder and how the same person is working over the latest side show impeachment, among other things that Dems don't want to let see the light of day!
How many people that work for a company take home Secret information? How many take home government classified, secret, top secret or top top secret information which is tightly control and only have access on a need to know, really if it is related to your work. You have to sign them in and out. That is the reason they new he had the information and want it back!
Also, all document are the control of the national security and national Archives, even all presidential liberals. It does not matter who you are! This is the property of state and federal government not your personal property as a government employee.
The big question is why anyone would think they could get away with espionage, treason or black mail, other than an idiot?
Lock him up, lock him up, lock him up!
On another note Lindsey Graham certainly had no problem sticking his nose into Georgia and contacting people in Georgia and visiting Georgia when he was trying to rig the election but now it's time to pay the piper and talk about it under oath he seems to be having a great deal of problem coming to Georgia. Could it be that Lindsey Graham is just a flat out lier that tried desperately to rig the election for Donald Trump? Come on down Lindsay don't be such a wuss let's hear what you have to say. Let's hear what you had to say under oath in a Georgia court of law Lindsay The Liar!
I believe Bill Barr's opinion was wrong. It looks to a lot of people that senior Trump did in fact obstruct justice in regards to the investigation wether trump or associates colluded with Russians to effect the outcome of our national election. Right? And in fact it looks like treason to a lot of people. Right? Should any of the trumps that were involved in the same presidential election be allowed to leave the country or transfer moneys outa this country? A lot of people don't think the trump's should be allowed these freedoms cause they will use their freedom against us.
I think we are missing the point about all of the trump’s outrage over the search and seizure of classified documents from MAGA-loco. This is the same tactic he has used time and time again to dominate the news cycle at a time when the Democrats have made substantial legislative gains, so the focus is on his grievances and not on Democratic accomplishments.
The trump is marketing his deep state conspiracy theory grievances, not because they are justified or real - they are a means to generate additional donor cash.
Think about it. The trump is just fleecing his flock for getaway money and his true believers are standing in line to send them their money.
All of this is just yet another big league grift from the former grifter-in-chief.
My understanding of PACS from the time when they first were implemented, is that PACS can be used to support any political action but cannot be managed by or in any way controlled by the benefactor of PAC funds. They have to be separate, and I thought this was a legal requirement. It seems that the trump and many others have forgotten these requirements.
The trump talks about ‘his’ PAC which exists solely to benefit him. There is no other oversight of how he chooses to use the funds that he collects. During his earlier campaign stages, his campaign manager’s wife was the figurehead manager of his PAC - kind of a dodge because he could claim that neither he nor any of his staff had direct control over the funds, even though his campaign manager’s livelihood and his wife’s as well directly depended on using the PAC funds in accord with the trump’s directives.
In Texas, where there are no limits on campaign donations, a couple of very wealthy billionaires have used their wealth through a network of PAC’s to outright purchase the Republican legislature whose political funding is simply cut off if they do not vote in accord with the lord’s of money who can pick and choose who runs for office and put outrageous campaign dollars for even lower level politicians with no more qualifications other than their fealty to big money’s interests. Arguably, the PACs are directly benefitting the political wish’s of these major donors to shape legislation in their favor and to enforce their goals of supporting Christian Nationalism on the people by their selected politicians.
I believe that the framer’s would be outraged by the role of big money distributed through PACs to control politics as our country was founded on the principals of self rule by the people and the religious freedoms of the people; they opposed feudal governments that entitled local lords to control the politics and religious practices of the people that they were appointed to rule.
Once again, to save our democracy, I come to the same conclusion; We have to get big money out of influencing our country’s politics, at every level and everywhere. So many of the problems that affect our nation would be more or less instantly resolved as our politicians would have to work for the good of the country and the people instead of the will of their benefactors or the needs to amass huge campaign funds in order to win elections.
Checkout This
Trump Associate's Stated Plan to Publicly Release "Declassified" Documents
https://www.justsecurity.org/82723/trump-associates-stated-plan-to-publicly-release-declassified-documents/
But Donny tried to claim the imaginaru magical power to "Declassify" anything and everything.
Indict the failed former potus. Indict him and his 3 eldest spawn, try them and when convicted send them to Riker's in the general population with the Secret Service protection cancelled.
Only when this happens will I believe in REAL law and order in this country.
i was appalled at the outrage expressed by the Republicans with the FBI and calling our law enforement and judicial branch Nazi's and fascists. It seems they seem to accuse others with whatever heinous illegal or immoral behavior they are perpetrating at the time. A tactic right out of Trumps playbook. I am so sick of their destruction of democracy, rule of law and their alternate facts. Im concerned their pandering to extremist hate groups and hypocritical Christians will start a civil war. They incite violence, hate and control on everyone. They only bitch. Rant and whine. They seldom offer solutions to any of our want and needs. A clear majority want universal heathcare and prescriptions, fair voting, term limits, end of dark money and citizens united, social security etc. These guys just appease their donors and screw the rest of us.
The Trump Presidential Library is on-line, hosted by the National Archives and Records Administration, and notes he was impeached for inciting an insurrection.
Lock him up lock him up lock him up! And on another note it looks like Daniel Weiselberg just threw Donald Trump under the bus! How long is the republican party gonna pay Donald Trump's personal legal fees which went into millions and how long are idiots out in the general population going to send this billionaire Their hard earned cash so he can piss it away on lawyers when he's gonna end up in prison anyway. Trump is just delaying it he's got a room reserved.
Lock him up Lock him up Lock him up! Along with Peter Wussy Boy Navarro.
No one is above the law Mr. wussy boy Navarro you break the law you face the law. You are not above the law just as Trump is not above the law and hopefully all of you will soon be behind bars what do you need to be. It's hard to imagine that the Republican Party has turned into the biggest anti-American and anti-democratic party in the history of this country. It's sick it's pathetic and it's what the Republican party is today, fantasyland fascist beliefs and lies.
Figure this
when there was a cry for defunding the police in response to real brutality (people died and are totally petrified for simple traffic stops) the republicans just swooned on blue!
the fbi reclaimed top secret material from dumbkopf under an orderly legal process and procedure and these same Goons Of President not only want the fbi defunded but are openly calling for their heads!
where do these geniuses come from?
I support law enforcement. Period!