Trump's Classified Docs Theft: Mar-A-Lago, FBI Subpoenas, Searches & Seizures - DOJ, Garland, GOP Madness - Spy Hard

[Sam the Centipede]

Perhaps it's even simpler than that in Trumplogic: classified documents must not be scanned, therefore the scanned document was not classified when it was scanned, therefore Trump must have declassified it, therefore Trump thinking of scanning a document automatically declassified it.

[Dave from down under]

It's different when you are the president.

It's different when you are King

FIFY

[Kendra]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/14/politics ... index.html

Federal prosecutors investigating former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents are asking a court to force his attorney Evan Corcoran to provide additional testimony, two sources familiar with the Justice Department’s motion told CNN.

To overcome the shield of attorney-client privilege, prosecutors alleged in writing to the judge that the former president used his attorney in furtherance of a crime or fraud, according to one source.

The move represents the most aggressive yet by special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the investigation.

Corcoran recently appeared before the grand jury for roughly four hours and is the third attorney to testify before the grand jury. He has not yet appeared a second time, and it remains to be seen if he ultimately does.

The New York Times first reported on the effort to compel Corcoran.

The case and filing remain under seal.

[Phoenix520]

Not being a lawyer, this made me say ‘whoa’. I can’t remember ever hearing this actually invoked before, not even with Michael Cohen.

Is it as significant as I think? Or am I just having a senior moment?

[northland10]

I've decided that the only thing I will consider significant is when indictments start appearing. Everything before that is just stuff. It may be interesting stuff but it's just stuff.

[raison de arizona]

I'm different. I have a bunch of extra folders that don't say classified on them sitting around here to use. They could have used a little electrical tape over the light. Or maybe, since he claims he is super rich, they could get a phone without the blue light.

What he and his team seem to be missing is the ability to create a plausible story. There are so many ways to spin this that would have elicited a shrug, and everybody would move on. Instead, he goes for the least plausible.

Even if it were a true story, I don't think I would have used that one publically.

Seriously. A billionaire puts a manilla folder over the phone on his nightstand to block the light? That's the best they could come up with? He needs a serious upgrade in his bullshit department.

[RTH10260]

What happend --- he couldn't think a blue light away when his powers can de-classify documents that way?

[Ben-Prime]

I'm different. I have a bunch of extra folders that don't say classified on them sitting around here to use. They could have used a little electrical tape over the light. Or maybe, since he claims he is super rich, they could get a phone without the blue light.

What he and his team seem to be missing is the ability to create a plausible story. There are so many ways to spin this that would have elicited a shrug, and everybody would move on. Instead, he goes for the least plausible.

Even if it were a true story, I don't think I would have used that one publically.

Seriously. A billionaire puts a manilla folder over the phone on his nightstand to block the light? That's the best they could come up with? He needs a serious upgrade in his bullshit department.

I mean, it's not like he's surrounded with items the approximate size and shape of, oh, a baseball cap of a solid opaque color like, let's say, red, that could have done the job.

[Kendra]

The constantly evolving story on the Trump documents. This is why you don’t talk when under investigation until you find out exactly what they know. And even then you don’t talk. “I would put them in a pile and keep them as momentous.”

[RTH10260]

re 1850 Boxes of documents

Not VP or presidential material but from his work as Senator.

Peggy Hubbard
stated on January 30, 2023 in a Facebook post:
“More classified documents (were) found at the University of Delaware,” the “equivalent of a tractor trailer worth.”

resulting in this by PoltiFact:

Was “a tractor trailer worth” of classified documents found at the University of Delaware?

By Loreben Tuquero
February 2, 2023

• There have been no news or government reports that any classified documents were found at the University of Delaware.
  
  President Joe Biden donated 1,850 boxes of his senatorial papers to the University of Delaware, and they have been housed on the campus since June 2012.
  
  The university library has not opened the collection to the public, and it is unknown whether any of the documents in the collection were classified. Some lawmakers have called for a review of the documents to see whether any classified ones are included.

See the sources for this fact-check

The last few weeks have brought multiple revelations about President Joe Biden’s storage of classified documents, which were discovered in unauthorized locations. A recent claim on social media presents another supposed development.

"BREAKING. More classified documents found at the University of Delaware, told to be the equivalent of a tractor trailer worth," said the post by Peggy Hubbard, an Illinois Republican who ran for U.S. Senate in 2020 and in 2022.

In a comment on the post, she added, "1850 boxes worth of documents, and the university is not allowing them to be reviewed by officials? Who actually paid for the housing at the University of Delaware? China?"

She also said in the comments, "And, Hunter Biden used several to enhance his position with Ukraine."

This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

There have been no news or government reports that any classified documents were found at the University of Delaware. Biden donated 1,850 boxes of his senatorial papers to the University of Delaware, and they have been housed on the campus since June 2012, according to the university library.

When PolitiFact reached out to Hubbard for evidence of her claim, she said, "Fox News reported 1,850 boxes, the equivalent of two tractor trailers," and added that it was "reported by the Senate Intel Committee" via an interview with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

Hubbard did not specify the interview to which she was referring. But on Jan. 29, Cruz spoke to Fox News host Maria Bartiromo and urged the FBI to examine the 1,850 boxes of Biden’s senatorial documents at the University of Delaware.

Neither Bartiromo nor Cruz said during the segment that classified documents had been found at the university.

Cruz said, "I believe the natural next step that is necessary is for the FBI to examine the 1,850 plus boxes of documents from Joe Biden’s Senate tenure that is at the University of Delaware, and I also believe it is critical for the FBI to search Hunter Biden’s home and office residences to make sure there are no classified documents there. Given all the evidence that’s piling up, we need to ascertain who’s had access to what and when."



https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2 ... -document/

[humblescribe]

The constantly evolving story on the Trump documents. This is why you don’t talk when under investigation until you find out exactly what they know. And even then you don’t talk. “I would put them in a pile and keep them as momentous.”

"Mother load"? Really?

Did he have an accident in his diapers?

[p0rtia]

I've decided that the only thing I will consider significant is when indictments start appearing. Everything before that is just stuff. It may be interesting stuff but it's just stuff.

I assume from what they say that the lawyers here have always known that our judicial system was a fucking disaster with the entitlement, but I apparently did not. Even after it became clear that SCOTUS was being run by fascists.

As one of the legal talking heads on the TV said last week: Don't think the judicial system is going to fix the brokenness of this country.

[p0rtia]

What happend --- he couldn't think a blue light away when his powers can de-classify documents that way?

Hubris.

Hamartia (hopefully).

[Slarti the White]

I've decided that the only thing I will consider significant is when indictments start appearing. Everything before that is just stuff. It may be interesting stuff but it's just stuff.

I assume from what they say that the lawyers here have always known that our judicial system was a fucking disaster with the entitlement, but I apparently did not. Even after it became clear that SCOTUS was being run by fascists.

As one of the legal talking heads on the TV said last week: Don't think the judicial system is going to fix the brokenness of this country.

Me too. also.

I've known about the lack of equity in our judicial system for a while (from personal experience), but other than that I'm exactly where p0rtia and northland10 are -- show me the indictments or admit that the system has no integrity whatsoever.

[somerset]

Not being a lawyer, this made me say ‘whoa’. I can’t remember ever hearing this actually invoked before, not even with Michael Cohen.

Is it as significant as I think? Or am I just having a senior moment?

Crime fraud exception is a really big deal. I believe it came up during Manafort's trial (?), when the prosecution was able to use his attorney as a witness.

[Gregg]

I'm different. I have a bunch of extra folders that don't say classified on them sitting around here to use. They could have used a little electrical tape over the light. Or maybe, since he claims he is super rich, they could get a phone without the blue light.

What he and his team seem to be missing is the ability to create a plausible story. There are so many ways to spin this that would have elicited a shrug, and everybody would move on. Instead, he goes for the least plausible.

Even if it were a true story, I don't think I would have used that one publically.

Seriously. A billionaire puts a manilla folder over the phone on his nightstand to block the light? That's the best they could come up with? He needs a serious upgrade in his bullshit department.

I mean, it's not like he's surrounded with items the approximate size and shape of, oh, a baseball cap of a solid opaque color like, let's say, red, that could have done the job.

The hat sits, in splendor, atop a solid gold bust of his Trumpness, on a solid golder even plinth, on a solid goldest you ever saw pedestal. It is attended to by his trusted aide, "Iggy", an Indonesian Dwarf who weighs 300 pounds and speaks no English.

You don't mess with the hat.

[Kendra]

Paywall :/

Charges Against Trump Lawyer ‘Very Likely,’ Colleagues Warn Donald
As the feds continue to probe the ex-president’s handling of confidential documents, his legal team is urging him to distance himself from one of his top attorneys

[RTH10260]

do not see paywall, but the gist is this:

Some of the former president’s lawyers have explicitly told Trump that, based on information they have privately reviewed, they believe the Department of Justice has a strong case against Corcoran, arguing charges — including potentially for obstruction of justice — are “very likely,” the sources said. These advisers have argued that if the Justice Department indeed does come for Corcoran, it’s imperative for Trump to distance himself to avoid being dragged into possible further legal jeopardy by his own attorney.

Trump, the sources say, sounded “receptive” to their perspective. However, as of mid-February, it appears he wasn’t as receptive as they had hoped: Corcoran is still on Trump’s legal team.

and

Several of Trump’s close advisers who’ve recently spoken to him about this have argued to the ex-president that any potential wrongdoing on this matter could, somehow, be pinned entirely on Corcoran, and not Trump himself.

[Dave from down under]

Have those advisors also suggested that The Boss could organise a one way aquatic adventure for Corcoran???

[RVInit]

Johnny Depp was countersued for defamation based on statements that were made by his attorney. I guess the idea being that when you hire an attorney they become your agent (not sure I'm using the correct terminology here).

Can any of the IAAL weigh in here and explain whether Trump really can put all the blame for everything on his attorney? Is there specific law or test that is used to determine when a client is and isn't responsible for actions taken by their attorney.

[Ben-Prime]

Have those advisors also suggested that The Boss could organise a one way aquatic adventure for Corcoran???

I believe the crowd involved would simply offer him a high floor condo and wink repeatedly while telling TFG that the windows are secure.

[Kendra]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/24/politics ... index.html

The Justice Department wants to know how a box containing a handful of classified records scattered among copies of presidential schedules turned up at Mar-a-Lago late last year, well after several rounds of searches of the property by federal agents and aides to former President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.

Investigators working for special counsel Jack Smith in recent weeks have interviewed a Trump aide who copied classified materials found in the box using her phone to put them onto a laptop. After a voluntary interview with the aide, prosecutors subpoenaed the password to the laptop, which she provided, according to one of the sources.

The classified documents contained in the box were discovered in December, after the Justice Department told Trump’s legal team to conduct yet another search for documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

People familiar with the Trump legal team’s efforts to locate documents describe a confusing chain of events that delayed discovery of the box, including having its contents uploaded to the cloud, emailed to a Trump employee, and moved to an offsite location before finally ending up back at a Mar-a-Lago bridal suite that is now Trump’s office – the very place that the FBI had searched just weeks earlier.

Trump’s legal team has acknowledged in recent weeks they turned over to the special counsel the box and a laptop containing its scanned contents. But prosecutors have continued asking why it wasn’t given to the Justice Department earlier, and what if any role or knowledge Trump may have had about its movements, sources said.

[RTH10260]

Do we know where Hunter Bidens laptop is at this very moment? Was it being prepared with Top Secret documents for the next scandal?

[Kendra]

Unusual: BOTH Warner & Rubio didn’t say a word after the Gang of 8 briefing. They had previously been very public about their displeasure w/ the Biden admin opting against sharing the classified docs with them.

This briefing was billed as simply an explanation of the DOJ process

[Kendra]

https://wapo.st/3Yfv2VE

Months of disputes between Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents over how best to try to recover classified documents from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club and residence led to a tense showdown near the end of July last year, according to four people familiar with the discussions.

Prosecutors argued that new evidence suggested Trump was knowingly concealing secret documents at his Palm Beach, Fla., home and urged the FBI to conduct a surprise raid at the property. But two senior FBI officials who would be in charge of leading the search resisted the plan as too combative and proposed instead to seek Trump’s permission to search his property, according to the four people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive investigation.

Prosecutors ultimately prevailed in that dispute, one of several previously unreported clashes in a tense tug of war between two arms of the Justice Department over how aggressively to pursue a criminal investigation of a former president. The FBI conducted an unprecedented raid on Aug. 8, recovering more than 100 classified items, among them a document describing a foreign government’s military defenses, including its nuclear capabilities.

But the prosecutors learned FBI agents were still loath to conduct a surprise search. They also heard from top FBI officials that some agents were simply afraid: They worried taking aggressive steps investigating Trump could blemish or even end their careers, according to some people with knowledge of the discussions. One official dubbed it “the hangover of Crossfire Hurricane,” a reference to the FBI investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible connections to the Trump campaign, the people said. As president, Trump repeatedly targeted some FBI officials involved in the Russia case.