After months of back and forth there seems to be a break-through on the Trump and secret documents thing.
Donald Trump has been indicted over his handling of classified documents. The former president posted on Truth Social Thursday evening that his lawyers informed him of the development, reports the Hill. The New York Times confirmed the news, reporting that the Justice Department filed the indictment in federal court in Miami, where Trump has been ordered to appear on Tuesday afternoon. He is expected to surrender to authorities rather than be taken into custody. Trump thus becomes the first former president in US history to face federal charges, per the Times. As the Washington Post notes, the investigation involves not just hundreds of classified documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate but whether the former president obstructed efforts to recover the material.
The specific charges Trump faces have not yet been publicly detailed. Trump has insisted that he did nothing wrong and that he had full authority as the outgoing president to retain such documents. He has further accused the FBI and the Justice Department of a politically motivated investigation intended to torpedo his 2024 run for reelection. The Justice Department investigation has been run by special counsel Jack Smith, who has, as expected, remained mum about developments.
Investigators also found documents at the residence of Mike Pence but have cleared him of criminal charges. An investigation is still underway over classified papers found at the residence of President Biden, stemming back to his days as vice president. On Thursday, Biden said Americans should trust the process. “Because you’ll notice, I have never once—not one single time—suggested to the Justice Department what they should do or not do on whether to bring any charges or not bring any charges,” the president told reporters, per CNN. “I’m honest.”
7 counts, eh?
What could they possibly be?
Donald Trump was indicted on seven counts related to the probe into his handling of classified documents, his attorney confirmed. The former president is facing one charge under the Espionage Act, plus charges including obstruction of justice, destruction or falsification of records, conspiracy, and false statements, CNN reports. Trump himself weighed in on the Espionage Act charge, which he called “ludicrous.” Federal agents from the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security are en route to Miami ahead of Trump’s court appearance, which the former POTUS said would happen Tuesday, the AP reports.
Meanwhile, Trump’s fellow Republicans are speaking out against the indictment. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy blamed President Biden for the charges, saying it is “unconscionable for a President to indict the leading candidate opposing him.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise agreed, saying Trump is “weaponizing his Department of Justice against his own political rival.” Even Trump’s 2024 rivals are backing him up on this: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wondered, “Why so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive about Hillary or Hunter?” while Sen. Tim Scott said the justice system’s “scales are weighted” based on politics. Fellow GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said the indictment was “an affront to every citizen.”
Great news in my opinion…..but I do not think this will go the whole way…..
He, Trump, should be barbecued IMO.
Any deep probing thoughts?
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
All this bullshit indictment will do is make sure he gets elected again in 2024.
Hoped you are wrong…but it is sort of good to see the indictment…..a minor victory at best. chuq
I look forward to him having jail time as well. Amazing how MAGA Republicans can blame Biden(?), trash the FBI and DOJ (and the imagined “deep state” conspiracies) as a result of all this when the indictment… the evidence… hasn’t even been made public yet. Which means they are trashing the institutions for simply doing their jobs… which, BTW, requires judicial review for going every step of the way (search warrants, subpoenas, etc., not to mention two grand juries voting on indictments.) That’s an awful lot of people to drag into some conspiracy… and keep it all secret.
We have to yet get to the bottom of all this as to the “why” Trump wanted all this stuff to begin with.
Here’s something interesting… there is no requirement that a president (or VP) be vetted for a security clearance. The people around them get vetted of course. The person occupying the Office of the President simply assumes a kind of custodial role in de-classifying secrets up until the minute the next person occupies the office. Now, more often than not, if the president has previously served in some official capacity (like a member of Congress on certain committees, CIA, etc.) they have been vetted prior. But Trump never got an official security clearance, as I am being led to understand. Does this matter in the grand scheme? Only to the point that the moment Biden replaced replaced him as president, and Trump had national security documents that he did not properly de-classify while in office in his possession, then that’s braking the law.
I would like to see the possible price tag if the info were marketed. chuq
Sad to say I think it will come to nothing. However, I would be dearly happy to be proved wrong.
Best wishes, Pete.
MY feeling as well….chuq
I am interested in finding out who it was that Trump “Showed” some of the classified materials to …Chinese agents? Russian agents? Was there money exchanged in return for the privilege of seeing the documents that were reported to have been “Shown?” Are any of the reportedly “Missing” documents now in the hands of the enemies of the nation? These are things that are on my mind but I am certain that these are things that will never be known too.
All great questions but I fear we may never know. chuq
Do not baste with favorite BBQ sauce.
Just be sure it is well done…even burnt. chuq