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© Thomson Reuters 2023.Trump risked national secrets, U.S. prosecutors allege in indictment
By Sarah N Lynch and Jonathan Stempel WASHINGTON©2023 GPlusMedia Inc.
94 Comments
SimondB
"Lock him up! Lock him up!"
Yrral
MAGA is toast
Peter Neil
Reading the entire indictment describes his scheming, conniving and duplicitous actions and callous disregard for handling some of the most important intelligence secrets of the nation. It’s very damning.
There is nothing political about the charges. I suggest you read the document.
Yrral
They should reopen the Russian investigation of Trump
bass4funk
The DOJ had a huge problem: The fact pattern they wanted to press against Trump was that he was asked to return classified documents via subpoena, and that he "obstructed" by not complying. The problem was the DOJ knew that many other former government officials - including Biden and Pence - had retained classified documents when they left office. They knew that Trump’s lawyers would bring this up immediately. So here's where the DOJ constructed a crime against Trump: After the DOJ made a public spectacle of raiding Trump, they made sure to ask Biden and Pence for any classified documents they might have. This is the DOJ's trick: They wanted to show that Biden and Pence complied when asked. The problem with this tactic is that it was a naked attempt to construct a crime against Trump. The first thing Trump's lawyers should ask in court is "Why did the DOJ ask Biden for his classified documents only in 2022, just after the FBI raided Trump - when they knew about the classified documents Biden took over 40 years ago?" In fact, it's clear that Biden didn't comply: the DOJ kept finding documents at more locations and at far less secure locations, and for much more time outside the government's possession - than Trump had his documents. Makes sense once you peel back the onion.
Peter Neil
If a “lib” did 1/10th of the things in the Trump indictment, you’d be apoplectic, bass.
It’s about Trump, not Biden.
So let me get this straight. You support what Trump did in the indictment? That’s a yes or no.
deanzaZZR
Lock the Orange Man up.
wallace
The charges against Trump are very serious. Charged by the special counsel. Documents on the US nuclear program. Documents on the state of national security.
Trump claims "election interference".
Bob Fosse
“Trump is due to make a first court appearance in the case in a Miami court on Tuesday, a day before his 77th birthday.”
Congratulations!
Hey, what do you know? One of the charges is conspiracy.
bass4funk
Yes.
Bob Fosse
Bass, you can’t believe 45 is innocent but want Biden investigated for the same alleged crime.
Michael Machida
His age is catching up with him. He needs to slow down in a beautiful room with no visitors with a locked door and window to look out of so he can calm down for the rest of his life. Jail time.
hachikoreloaded
To rephrase a typical Trumpster deflection tactic, "We are talking about Trump, not Biden or Hilary"
Yrral
Why has Trump bail been revoked,if that was hypothetical me,I was of been in jail,he constitute a clear and present danger
TaiwanIsNotChina
Trump was one giant walking security breach. We will never know what he revealed to the Russians or what listening devices he allowed planted in the oval office.
Superlib
Pretty damaging stuff when you see the evidence is from things like audio recordings, video cameras, and Trump's own lawyers and employees.
No need for hot tips from Ukrainians on this one.
dagon
Let's see; if she makes any judgements against Trump will she be a : witch, far-left, radical Marxist, deranged Trump-hater in disguise?
I think few believe this fiction in the capitalist so-called democracies of the G7.
It has never been the case but oft repeated.
2020hindsights
bass4funk
The amount of copium here is immense.
I believe that the DOJ absolutely did not want to indict Trump (like with Biden and Pence), but the evidence of other crimes like, wilfully moving boxes of documents so that he could keep them, that they were forced to indict.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Maybe they can give him a birthday orange jumpsuit and mugshot.
bass4funk
No, putting Trump in prison is not the focus or strategy for the left.
2020hindsights
bass4funk
am not under indictments for obstruction of justice, Trump going to jail for reading something,he has no knowledge of
This has nothing to do with the left.
wallace
MAGA supporters will need to donate again to Trump's defense.
bass4funk
It absolutely has everything to do with the left.
stormcrow
With U.S. Top Secrets spilling out of every room imaginable at Mar-a-Lago, no wonder the Chinese were desperately trying to sneak in.
What a fool! Trump is a national security risk.
2020hindsights
"I'm going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information. Nobody is above the law."
-- Trump
wallace
Even for some MAGA supporters Trump having Top Secret documents on the US nuclear program is a step too far. Why would he need those?
2020hindsights
bass4funk
Actually they did. They asked for the documents back, Trump sent some back and kept others. If Trump had just sent all of them back, it would have ended right there and then.
Then Trump said that they were all sent back, when they weren't.
Archives suspected that Trump had more so the subpoenaed him to give them back. Trump didn't comply, so they inspected his residence and found more documents.
deanzaZZR
Trying? Don't forget the Russians, Iranians and who knows who else.
Raw Beer
We've heard that before, many times, and it always turned out to be nothing but made up accusations and "evidence". It's concerning how much the US justice system (and MSM) has been weaponized by the deep state.
Cards fan
Except it's not made up. They've got recordings of Trump even acknowledging he could have, but did not, declassify the documents.
You've got to admit: Elect me so I can hide more national security documents isn't exactly an a strong selling point to elect to this clown
wallace
Why did Trump need these 11,000-plus documents? What was his intention?
stormcrow
If Trump is elected again, it would be like putting a loaded gun to the government’s head and pulling the trigger.
This man has absolutely no business being president.
hachikoreloaded
Trump fans should look at the list of people, of which Trump is now included, who have been indicted for violations of the Espionage Act.
wallace
Photos of where the many boxes of documents were found in bathrooms. unsecured rooms, in a ballroom. Trump is struggling to find a lawyer team to represent him in this case. Lawyers on the run.
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/see-photos-of-the-boxes-of-classified-documents-at-the-heart-of-donald-trumps-2nd-indictment/3274537/
Peter14
How many of the "tens of thousands" of guests were foreign spies who may have copied some of these sensitive top secret defense files? Even one could sink the US at some point in the future. Kept in boxes in rooms anyone could access, not exactly the height of good security. Even the cleaners could have copied these documents.
Trump has shown again and again he has little respect for the law and doing the right thing. His only concern is doing things that benefit Donald Trump. His self centered universe where laws do not apply to him, only to everyone else. His bubble needs bursting and he needs to do time in a jail cell where there are no gold fittings and a stainless steel toilet he has to clean himself.
bass4funk
How do you know the Feds didn’t put them there?
2020hindsights
bass4funk
What part of "asked for the documents back" did you infer raid. They just asked. Like, not raiding. Asking.
2020hindsights
bass4funk
Trump sent some back and kept others. If Trump had just sent all of them back, it would have ended right there and then.
No he didn't. He hid some documents and returned some documents and then he lied by saying that he had returned all of the documents.
Well that was to get the documents that he still had after saying that he had returned everything.
wallace
bass4funk
Hilarious even for you.
Trump Showed Off Secret ‘Plan of Attack’ at His Golf Club: Indictment
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-showed-off-secret-plan-of-attack-in-new-jersey-meeting-indictment
Ivanka Trump Is ‘Staying Far Away From Daddy’ After 2nd Indictment.
hachikoreloaded
"You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart with spies and treason, right? We used to handle it a little differently than we do now."
I wonder how Trump feels about wanting to "bring back firing squads" now?
Superlib
The indictment, which will be referenced: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23839690-read-trump-indictment-related-to-mishandling-of-classified-documents
Archives repeatedly asked Trump to hand over the documents. He didn't comply. Then a subpoena was issued. Trump didn't comply. Archives threatened to refer the matter to the DOJ. Trump didn't comply. The matter was referred, and Trump was raided.
Your argument amounts to, "They only gave him 6 chances, not 7!"
See the indictment above.
Trump's aide, Nauta, who was also indicted, sent texts talking about his moving the boxes from storage before the raid as per Trump's directions. He took pictures. There is also video of him doing the same. Nauta denied he knew where anything was. The DOJ showed him the texts and videos, and Naura stopped cooperating at that point.
This was done by Trump and Nauro in secret from Trump's primary lawyer. Despite that fact, Trump's lawyer himself testified that Trump asked about keeping some of the documents, if it would be better for him. The lawyer also said that through a series of hand gestures Trump was asking him to remove some of the documents from the batch he had found.
Anyone who says Trump and his lawyers complied are making false statements, either on purpose or out of ignorance. From moving boxes to ignoring requests and subpoenas, Trump blocked at every opportunity.
lincolnman
Remember all those chants of “Lock Her Up” in 2016…for Hillary’s so-called clumsy handling of classified emails?
Well, Trump and his cronies had four years to make good on their promise…and what was the result - NOTHING….
And Donald? He passed a law that increased the penalty for illegal handling of classified info to five years in jail…
And now Donald gets to be on the receiving end of his own law….ROFL…
That’s some serious schadenfreude… Hillary is laughing her ^&* off….
Black Sabbath
28%.
Once convicted, I predict his approval rating will drop to 28%
Bob Fosse
Aren’t you always telling us about the importance of following law enforcement commands and blaming victims of police aggression for not doing so?
bass4funk
And you are not getting the part where he complied.
He absolutely did, especially when the Feds saw some unsecured documents and told his people to please secure them at their request.
I understand but the DOJ has hundreds of tools to use to obtain the files, none of this had to happen, they didn’t need to take this route, they wanted it and we all know why. Even Rachel Maddow knows it’s a witch hunt.
She said what if the DOJ decides to drop all charges in exchange Trump doesn’t run in 2024, well, there you go.
Black Sabbath
This guy and his followers are the single worst thing to happen to my country since Nixon.
Oh, wait a minute. Nixon: Republican. Southern Strategy. Racist criminal.
This guy: Republican. Racist criminal.
Hm. I just wonder if all of this guys followers really like racist criminlas, well,
Cause they're racist, and they only care about being 'tough on crime' when its a black or brown person who is suspect.
There's a word for this guys followers, the die-hard 28%ers. Starts with a "d"....
Oh right.
Deplorable.
bass4funk
No, unlike you, this is not a joke.
Yeah, wasn’t a great move duly noted. At least he didn’t make copies and try to put all of it on a private server
You have no idea what his daughter is going to do, don’t even go there.
wallace
On any given day, the media know exactly where Ivanka Trump is and what her movements are.
EFD
Reading the indictment now and saw the live feed as it dropped.
I am no longer worried about jury nullification.
Trump’s guilt couldn’t be more obvious.
His lawyers quit.
His lawyers quit on him.
He is so unbelievably screwed….
Yrral
If you know about law,what legal defense theory can Trump use ,beside the criminal insane defense
Black Sabbath
Well, I am lawyer, so ask away.
TokyoLiving
The only good thing I see in the supreme leader of the MAGA gang is that he may be the only one who can help stop the war in Ukraine..
For the rest he is a complete scoundrel...
wallace
Donald Trump admits on tape he didn’t declassify ‘secret information
https://www.news8000.com/news/politics/national-politics/donald-trump-admits-on-tape-he-didn-t-declassify-secret-information/article_36d0c948-e91d-5447-bd87-d7fac89d9c91.html
Superlib
Do explain any one of the hundreds of tools the DOJ could have used after asking and subpoenas did nothing.
lincolnman
As expected, our MAGA-friends are in complete meltdown and denial...
They purposely ignore the fact that Trump 1) failed to return the documents when requested by NARA, 2) failed to comply with the DOJ subpoena, 3) attempted to conceal the documents by moving them around, 4) had his attorneys certify in writing to the DOJ that all classified had been returned - proved a lie as 104 more were found one month later, and 5) has issued such clearly conflicting statements as "It's classified and it's mine", "I declassified it by thinking", "I didn't take any classified just empty folders"...
Even his loyal defender in the Mueller investigation and handpicked AG Bill Barr has said that Trump "jerked around" the DOJ...and is in serious legal jeopardy...
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/02/bill-barr-trump-fbi-mar-a-lago-00054716
Jack Smith has built a meticulous case with mountains of evidence - some coming from Trump's own mouth...
The MAGA-faithful can try to wish it away all they want...maybe it will help them sleep better at night...but it changes nothing....
Trump is headed to the "Big House" not the White House...all with added jail time due to a law HE signed increasing the penalty for mishandling classified info.
Bye-Don, Hello Leavenworth...
2020hindsights
bass4funk
They do. First they asked. Then they issued a subpoena. Then they conducted a search at Mar A Largo. They didn't take that route before exhausting other options first.
wtfjapan
No, putting Trump in prison is not the focus or strategy for the left.
No trump did that all on his own.
for those that haven read the indictments, go and read them they're online, the evidence in overwhelming
two of Trumps lawyers quit hrs after the indictments were released.
A jury of Trump peers will decide his fate with the evidence that Jack Smith presents, your feelings, political affiliation wont change this
Black Sabbath
lincolnman
I sure hope you are right. And it's looking like he will end up incarcerated.
Which is necessary for our republic.
Then and only then will half of those who vote Republican dump him. Because they don't care about right and wrong. They care about winning, and winning only.
To break the spell, Trump must be jailed. Weak, old and jailed. Then they will forget him as quickly as they forgot Shrub.
EFD
Asked his lawyer to lie to the FBI. When that wasn’t in the cards, had his Diet Coke boy hide the docs from the FBI AND from his own lawyer.
And why?
Legally it doesn’t matter. But I think he was going to sell them to a foreign power and/or use them as blackmail against his own country.
lincolnman
Don't these Trump gems from 2016 age so well....
“In my administration, I’m going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information. No one will be above the law.”
“One of the first things we must do is to enforce all classification rules and to enforce all laws relating to the handling of classified information,”
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-haunted-2016-rhetoric-mishandling-classified-info-rcna88543
I don't know which are the better Trump "self-owns" - these here or his statement that "only the mob takes the 5th"...
Welcome to MAGA-world...
Black Sabbath
EFD "Legally it doesn’t matter."
According to his attorney, that Maga Man is facing a charge under the Espionage Act ( and obstruction of justice, destruction or falsification of records, conspiracy and false statements)
The Espionage Act prohibits " obtaining information, recording pictures, or copying descriptions of any information relating to the national defense with intent or reason to believe that the information may be used for the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation"
You think he was going to sell them to a foreign power and/or use them as blackmail against his own country.
That sure sounds a lot like advantaging any foreign nation and injury to the US, respectively.
bass4funk
They don’t. These are the people that spread the Russian collusion delusion hoax, there’s a reason why cable news and print media on the msm are losing viewers and subscribers.
sunfunbun
LOL. How dumb can Trump get? Pretty damn dumb!
It's getting harder for MAGA love to support everything Trump does, this is clearly being shown by a lack of acknowledgment and substance in arguments of what's happening in today's posts. Bass just stop it. LOL.
It comes down to the nonsensical echo chamber method of what MAGA perceives as pragmatics, but is just repeat trash with no merit. Us vs. liberals is so weak, and doesn't hold water, when the us part involves criminal behavior and acts by their leader.
I stole the cookies, but it's your fault, mom.
EFD
I would say it’s only the same tired excuses from the same tired posters, but I would be mistaken.
It’s the same tired excuses and pathetic deflections from the same SINGLE poster.
The same “I never said that” (he did) guy has gone down the rabbit hole all by his lonesome.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Since? Nixon at least kept his treason quiet and as far as we know was not on the payroll of the KGB.
EFD
And it was PR genius for Jack Smith to drop these.
No bad Orange man with the field to himself for the weekend lying his fat ass off to create a false narrative.
Sorry, dumber Voldemort. Not this time.
EFD
And we haven’t even gotten to the 1/6 indictments…..
Black Sabbath
Taiwain
Well, when you put it that way, I guess a must agree.
Maga Man is the single worst thing to happen to my country since slavery.
Cards fan
@Sangetsu: This is complete and total nonsense.
So not the same date at all? Got it.
Document, not documents. It's called an FD-1023. It doesn't take any proof to submit one of these. Literally anyone can make such a claim. It's existance doesn't "indicate" anything, other than someone has made and allegation. The person who made the allegation, by the way, hasn't come forward to cooperate with the investigation. Ask yourself why.
And? Is that a crime?
Lol This isn't true. That didn't happen.
Ditto.
By the way, if you're shocked by this, I imagine you'll be even more shocked when you find Jared Kushner got $7 billion from the Saudis after leaving office.Not a bad pay day for looking the other way while they murder journalists, and selling them weapons.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/10/us/jared-kushner-saudi-investment-fund.html
nishikat
Why? She's a big girl. She's over 18. Then what is Javanka going to do? We will go there as much as we want.
Based
This post is your daily reminder, starting yesterday, that Trump is being indicted by Biden's attorney general for the same thing that Biden himself has also done.
This clearly means that Biden's America is being turned into a banana republic, if it isn't one already.
Meanwhile, this (see below) went on yesterday.
(But it's only a coincidence that the Trump indictment came down on the same day, right? Can you spell "distraction"?)
Joe Biden allegedly paid $5M by Burisma executive as part of a bribery scheme, according to FBI document
By Brooke Singman
Published June 08, 2023Fox News
Moderator: The URL will suffice.
bass4funk
Then use the same tools and methods they are the DOJ, they have to give the former president the same awarded respect whether you agree with his politics or not just like the others
Then try something else. Look at it this way, so we just go to war every single time that another country disagrees with the terms and conditions of a negotiation? Do you file for divorce immediately without trying to work things out? You continue for as long as it takes
Then why tell the President to purchase a safe knowing they were planning a raid. Why go through Melania’s underwear and why by law not allow Trump’s lawyers to be present during a raid when they had every constitutional right to be there?
Well, they absolutely didn’t do that and we know why.
Cards fan
lol Complete and utter nonsense. Biden returned the documents. Trump did not.
As for the article you posted; It too is nonsense. An FD-1023 can be submitted for just about anything. It doesn't mean anything.
Based
Then here it is:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-allegedly-paid-5-million-by-burisma-executive
bass4funk
Then don’t make any.
Hardly.
EFD
Asked his lawyer to lie to the FBI. When that wasn’t in the cards, had his Diet Coke boy hide the docs from the FBI AND from his own lawyer.
Emperor Vagi-waddle is fresh out of excuses and the deflection kitchen is closed.
u_s__reamer
“You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart with spies and treason, right? We used to handle it a little differently than we do now.”
Spoken by the pathological scofflaw himself, the strict "law 'n' order" (cough) wise-guy. Next week he'll get to meet his very own appointed lady to the bench, Aileen "loose" Cannon, who has already made waves with her wacko ruling in favor of her benefactor before. You couldn't make up the ironic coincidence, but it'll fit dandy into the movies and TV dramas. Still, given what transpired previously, it is to be doubted that she will be allowed to mishandle this most serious case, too, a history-making trial that future school children will have to read about and then write essays on the fate of this latter-day Benedict Arnold.
Paustovsky
Being charitable, I would argue that a combination of Trump's personality disorder and an absence of intellectual capability are a possible reason for 'taking his work home'.
We are talking about a man whose eyes glaze over if the conversation is not about him, so any other topic (which is everything else) would render him disinterested or unresponsive.
Add to this his intellectual dwarfism and any written report with words outside his limited vocabulary or more than three syllables would be incomprehensible to him. Just take them home and Ivanka or someone who can read and stuff will help him.
CKAI
Wrote big the check. It bounced.
Express sister
The MAGAts here make it so clear that they’re in a cult. He lies endlessly and ceaselessly breaks the law, jeopardizing national security and they think that’s good and cool and he should do it. If Trump said that sea water was delicious and healthy to drink 50% of the GOP would be dead by sundown.
Express sister
In January 2021, Trump stole confidential material pursuant to national security, and there’s a good chance he showed that material to others.
In October 2021, the CIA noted that an unusually high number of US intelligence agents were being compromised, captured or killed. But I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.
Simon Foston
Express sisterToday 12:39 pm JST
Don't forget the classic "Biden has done it too so it's okay for Trump" excuse.
Express sisterToday 12:53 pm JST
I wonder what would induce him to let anyone else see it. I'm sure it wasn't just to show off.
nishikat
Biden did. As soon as top secret docs were discovered they were handed over. It was worked out. Trump did something different!!
starpunk
Pres. Obama said that himself, saying our national security has been breached. Yes, by Russian hackers! He doesn't have a Computer Science degree (I have a BA) but he's no dummy and he knows about the internet (his 2008 election website was revolutionary in using the power of the net for election purposes. It was groundbreaking.). During Labor Day weekend Russia attacked the Electoral College and on Election Night I saw the cyberattack that put the Traitor into the WH.
Ever notice that secret meeting in Helsinki with Putin? It was closed door, not done before. Kissing up to Putin, giving him more secrets - maybe?
Donald Jerk Trump is a TRAITOR, the Worst Traitor of All History and All Time.
Sold his soul, soul our pride, sold our nation, sold himself out to the devil. All for a stupid tower in Moscow that he didn't get and to be a Mussolini of America but still subservient to Putin. He is a new classic example to teach the children of tomorrow - in all schools, colleges, Sunday schools + in their counterparts in the synagogues and mosques (children's religion ed) of what type of person they should NOT be in any way, means or characteristic trait.
Cards fan
For the Trump defenders here who just aren't getting it: He wasn't "trying" to work with the respective departments. He and his aid "Walt Nauta" moved boxes around the property and to other properties, and hid that fact from his lawyers who then went on to erroneously report to investigators that Trump was no longer in possession of the documents.
Also, not only was he in possession of documents he lied about having, but he showed them to people who he knew shouldn't have access to them. It's all in the indictment.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/09/trump-indictment-takeaways-00101376
wtfjapan
Yeah, wasn’t a great move duly noted. At least he didn’t make copies and try to put all of it on a private server
oh like those empty top secret folders that they found at Maralardo, the nationals archives still havnt got those back yet.
lincolnman
Well, I don't see what all the fuss is about....
The indictment clearly spells out that our Great President Donald Trump kept our most sensitive secrets very well secured....in the three "B"s....
The Bathroom, the Bedroom, and the Ballroom...
I mean, who can get into those areas except some of his illegal immigrant servants...and Chinese trespassers...
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-maralago-china-idUSKBN2082ER
lincolnman
So Trump had very sensitive nuclear-related classified documents at Mar-A-Lago....
I wonder which is more likely....
1) Trump took them so he could build a portable nuclear generator at his compound?
2) He took them to sell, share, or exchange with his clothing business partner Xi or the guy he calls a "genius" Putin?
That's a pretty easy answer...
Superlib
They didn't tell him to put anything into a safe.
Investigators met with Trump to pick up classified materials in early June. This was supposed to be the last of the classified documents in Trump's possession. During the meeting, the agents asked to see where Trump stores his documents. It was recommended that he lock access to the storage room. And that's that.
They were not there to search anything. The raid happened a couple of months later, after the FBI had received other evidence that docs were still at Mar-A-Lago. They didn't have that information when they met with him in June.
To think the FBI knew they were going to raid him and then sat there for months is just absurd.
2020hindsights
bass4funk
Then they conducted a search at Mar A Largo. They didn't take that route before exhausting other options first.
They absolutely did do that.