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| credit: Chappatte, Boston Globe |
Update: On Monday, Defendant Trump's attorneys met with DOJ officials, including Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, in Washington DC, but not with Attorney General Garland as requested by them. Observers see the meeting as a final opportunity for his lawyers to argue against an indictment in the Mar-a-Lago Papers case. It is unlikely to have succeeded since the government's evidence is strong, and the offenses grievous. US Person thinks multiple charges are possible ranging from obstruction of justice, Presidential Records Act violations, and violation of the Espionage Act. The indictment could be handed down as early as this week making him the only former president in history to face federal criminal charges. Equity demands he stand before the bar.
{02.06.2023} Trumpilini shares something in common with Dick Nixon. Both were brought down by the 'smoking gun' evidence of their own voice recordings. Both men allowed their own inflated sense of self-importance to create damning evidence of their criminality. In Nixon's case it was the White House taping system he had installed. In Trumpilini's case it was an aide whom he wanted to tape conversations that dealt with book projects. In both cases they were tripped up by their oversized ego.
In the recording publicly revealed, Trump can be heard admitting he had a classified document in his possession after leaving the White House in July 2021. He also admitted the record concerned a planned US attack on Iran that he could not share because it was still classified. The taped conversation took place at his Bedminister, New Jersey golf club. This tape recording blows up his defenses of lack of specific intent ("willful and knowing") to violate classification laws, or his claimed 'telepathic' declassification power. He knew he had a classified document that he should not have had after leaving office, and acknowledged his limited ability to declassify it. Nevertheless he later told a CNN reporter, he has the "absolute right to do whatever I want with them." Reports are that the document the Ochre Menace discusses on tape is not among those recovered by the FBI under warrant or returned by the defendant. Prosecutors have asked for the record and any material related to it.
What more does Jack Smith want to bring an indictment in the Mar-a-Lago Papers case? Perhaps only this: an opportunity to examine whether Trumpilini's motive for illegally hoarding government documents was a pecuniary one. Smith apparently will not consider his case complete until the unnecessary question of motive is answered--or not. His subpoena to the Trump Org seeks information about business dealings with several countries including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates going back to 2017. Additional charges under the Espionage Act beyond obstruction of justice should be forthcoming if there is evidence Individual One showed the national defense documents to unauthorized persons ("dissemination", which includes describing document contents) to assist his business dealings.
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| credit: M. Lukovitch, Atlanta Journal-Constitution BC Idonwanna axes, Maybe, 'Prisoner #45'? |