Here's why Congress probably won't act on Trump's Russian bounty scandal
July 8, 2020, 10:03 AM ET
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Trump campaign unloads on DOJ over CNN report of audio recording related to classified doc
May 31, 2023
The Trump campaign on Wednesday issued a fiery rebuke to the Department of Justice alleging the agency leaked information to CNN after the outlet reported that federal prosecutors are in possession of audio in which the former president admits he kept a classified document describing a potential attack on Iran.
Trump is heard on the recording suggesting that, although he wishes to share the information, he’s aware that as a former president he can’t declassify them, multiple sources told the cable news channel, indicating he understood he was in possession of classified material.
CNN has not heard the audio.
The Trump campaign accused the DOJ of engaging in “political persecution” that aims to further divide the country in a statement obtained by Kaitlan Collins.
“Leaks from radical partisans behind this political persecution are designed to inflame tensions and continue the media’s harassment of President Trump and his supporters,” the statement said.
“It’s just more proof that when it comes to President Trump, there are absolutely no depths to which they will not sink as they pursue their witch hunts. The DOJ’s continued interference in the presidential election is shameful and this meritless investigation should cease wasting the American taxpayer’s money on Democrat political objectives.”
According to the report, prosecutors have interviewed witnesses before a federal grand jury about the about the recording and the document, and Gen. Mark Milley, was also questioned.
Katelyn Polantz, Paula Reid, and Collins write for CNN that “Special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the Justice Department investigation into Trump, has focused on the meeting as part of the criminal investigation into Trump’s handling of national security secrets. Sources describe the recording as an ‘important piece of evidence in a possible case against Trump,' who has repeatedly asserted he could retain presidential records and ‘automatically’ declassify documents.”
\u201cTrump campaign response: \u201cLeaks from radical partisans behind this political persecution are designed to inflame tensions and continue the media\u2019s harassment of President Trump and his supporters. It\u2019s just more proof that when it comes to President Trump, there are absolutely no\u2026\u201d— Kaitlan Collins (@Kaitlan Collins) 1685563628
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'This is game over': Former FBI top lawyer predicts 'conviction' of Trump after classified doc tape
May 31, 2023
Former FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann warned that the new tape recording of Donald Trump bragging that he had classified documents that he wanted to show people, if verified, could be the final straw leading to Trump's conviction.
"If this reporting is true, and I'm trying not to use hyperbole, this is game over," said Weissmann. "There is no way that he will not be charged. One, it is a tape recording. Even though the reporting is there are also witnesses, so there could be a tape recording with witnesses, it involves not just possession of classified information, but the dissemination of classified information. That puts it into a completely different ballpark when you are at the Department of Justice examining the seriousness of the violation and whether to bring charges."
He explained that it also adds another crime, whereas before, it was simply the possession of the documents, refusal to give them over, and obstruction of an investigation. Now, a separate crime would be to disseminate.
"And it differentiates Joe Biden an Mike Pence," he continued. Both men were found to have documents, including some classified information. They responded by immediately handing it over. Trump did not. "So from a political perspective, it is huge because there is no evidence this happened with respect to President Biden or former Vice President Pence. The information is not just classified information. It is one of the most sensitive types of classified information, which is war plans involving a potential attack on Iran. So, from every single aspect of this, if this reporting is accurate and there is this tape recording, there will be an indictment and it is hard to see how given all the evidence that we've been talking about that there will not be a conviction here. I mean, this is a tape recording."
Weissmann went on to list all of the crimes that are involved based on the federal statutes, espionage charges, or a violation of the Espionage Act. Another is that it is a crime to possess national defense information and it is a crime to disseminate it.
"And here it apparently is shared with people who don't have clearance to get this information," he explained. "And again this — this is not like a foot fault. These are war plans given to people who have no clearance to get it. It is hard to imagine — this is their worst nightmare as to what they were thinking would happen with this information which is that Donald Trump was at the very least lax in how he was handling it and it is going to have huge repercussions within the intelligence community in terms of making sure that this is not the only thing that was disseminated."
See the explanation below or at the link here.
'This is game over': Former FBI general counsel predicts 'conviction' of Trump youtu.be
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CNN’s exclusive report that federal prosecutors are in possession of an audio recording in which Donald Trump is heard admitting he kept a classified document describing a potential attack on Iran is a “blockbuster” development in the case against the former president, a national security expert said Wednesday.
Trump is heard on the recording suggesting that, although he wishes to share the information, he’s aware that as a former president he can’t declassify them, multiple sources told the cable news channel, indicating he understood he was in possession of classified material.
CNN has not heard the audio.
Former Defense Department special counsel Ryan Goodman tweeted that the revelation likely raises Trump’s “criminal exposure.”
“Audio recording is a meeting with several people who don't have security clearances,” Goodman tweeted.
“If Trump discussed content of document it is even worse - and raises its own criminal exposure. These individuals are all likely good witnesses, with disincentive to lie given their number.”
Special counsel Jack Smith is investigating Trump’s handling of classified documents, some of which the former president brought to his Florida home in Mar-a-Lago after he left office in January, 2021.
Goodman notes that CNN’s report that prosecutors are "are not only looking at Trump’s actions regarding classified documents recovered from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, but also at what happened at Bedminster" in the summer of 2021.
He writes that the latest revelation is likely to put additional pressure on the Department of Justice to indict the former president, and for a jury to convict him.
“War plans are among the most highly classified documents,” Goodman tweeted.
“Puts pressure on DOJ to indict, and a jury to convict.”
CNN’s report, which states that Trump said he “would like to share the information but he’s aware of limitations on his ability post-presidency to declassify records," in Goodman’s view, “also appears to knock a hole in already very weak (non-defense) defense of declassification.”
Goodman asserted the former president could be facing grave legal jeopardy
“Make no mistake. This is squarely an Espionage Act case. It is not simply an ‘obstruction’ case,” Goodman wrote.
“There is now every reason to expect former President Trump will be charged under 18 USC 793(e) of the Espionage Act.
“The law fits his reported conduct like a hand in glove.”
\u201cBombshell in MAL investigation.\n\nI'll discuss 7pm ET @ErinBurnett @OutFrontCNN \n\n"Audio recording" in which Trump "acknowledges he held onto a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran"\n\nScoop by @kpolantz @PaulaReidCNN @kaitlancollins \nhttps://t.co/jHsjkjXPyZ\u201d— Ryan Goodman (@Ryan Goodman) 1685564528
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