We already pretty much know that Trump Legal Team member Evan Corcoran’s document attesting to the fact that the Orangeutan’s South Florida lair Mar-A-Lago had been thoroughly searched for classified documents, as ordered by the National Archive, was BS. Between the hide-a-box antics of drump aide Walt Nauta and video of private jets being loaded with file boxes of the same before heading to his Bedminster Golf Club/ Cemetery prior to the search, it has already become evident that efforts were undertaken to prevent some Docs from being recovered.
The Guardian gives us more insight:
But The Guardian yesterday reported that what we didn’t know, but could have reasonably suspected, that Corcoran was prevented from searching the one place where the single largest number of pilfered folders was later recovered – The Orangeutan’s semi-private office – was placed off limits:
“Donald Trump’s lawyer tasked with searching for classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after the justice department issued a subpoena told associates that he was waved off from searching the former president’s office, where the FBI later found the most sensitive materials anywhere on the property.
The lawyer, Evan Corcoran, recounted that several Trump aides had told him to search the storage room because that was where all the materials that had been brought from the White House at the end of Trump’s presidency ended up being deposited.
Corcoran found 38 classified documents in the storage room. He then asked whether he should search anywhere else but was steered away, he told associates. Corcoran never searched Trump’s office and told prosecutors that the 38 papers were the extent of the material at Mar-a-Lago.
The assertion that there were no classified documents in Trump’s office or elsewhere proved to be wrong when the FBI retrieved 101 classified documents months afterwards, including from the office, which was found to be where the most highly classified documents had been located.“
The article goes on to question which drump associate or flunky steered Corcoran away from his office, but it doesn’t have to be proven to this writer who was directing these shenanigans.
The Guardian also reminded us of this this little nugget:
“When the FBI returned with a warrant months later, agents found in Trump’s desk drawer two classified documents mixed together with three other documents dated after Trump left the presidency, the Guardian has reported.”
Mueller, She Wrote over at Twitter directed me to this Guardian article… and her followers provided trenchant commentary:
🚨🚨 BREAKING 🚨🚨
Evan Corcoran was WAVED OFF from searching trump’s office for classified documents. He was told to just look in the storage room. https://t.co/3z6zTf2PPC
— Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) May 30, 2023
In the article – which I don’t think has a paywall – we don’t have specifics other than we don’t know if it was trump aides or trump himself.
My guess? Walt Nauta. Who was told by Donald.
— Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) May 30, 2023
Um – that would be mine as well.
Lawyers that quit blame this guy for preventing them from doing their job in defending trump,his name is Boris Epshteyn he didn’t let them have access to certain areas so they could corporate w’ DOJ
— debbie earley (@doxiedebbie) May 30, 2023
Maybe so, but he was not present for the search itself, and ultimately they all took their orders from drumpf.
Looks like we’re in the “cover our own ass stage” of the investigation. 😹
— Johnny Beasley (@johnnybeasley11) May 30, 2023
It always devolves to that in drumpf investigations…
Why do I feel we already heard that? Wasn't bedminster also 'waved off' ??
— JUSTICE IS COMING. No one is above ⚖ (@MsOsWeatherWarn) May 30, 2023
Yup
So, what jumps out to me here, is that Trump had documents in his drawer that were dated after he left office. Is this new info? How did that happen?
— Kan si (@KanKansi) May 30, 2023
Evidently not all of Gollum’s little helpers left the White House on the same day he did.
And being the bright guy that he is didn’t think that was odd? Shameful
— Pam (@WardpamPam) May 30, 2023
Gotta keep those billable hours rolling in.
There were strong hints of this in last week’s NYT and WaPO’s stories. And Corcoran isn’t going to lie to a grand jury. He did what any lawyer would do by raising privilege, but he’s complying. Tick tock.
— Bonnie-Ann Keagy (@BKesquire) May 30, 2023
I feel like we are in a time warp.
Every day that goes by without any number of people charged with this crime is a threat to our National Security.
All together now: “but her emails”.
Why in the f**k do people think the marmalade moron should be anywhere other than at the end of a noose? And not the end tied to the gallows.
I don’t doubt Corcoran is in full CYA mode. But let’s look at the whole picture. Don’t forget that he refused to sign that affidavit about documents having been returned. He knew it was b.s. and signing it could put both his career and freedom in jeopardy. He obviously knew crimes were being committed and was trying to start extricating himself from a criminal conspiracy.
The real question is when he suspected, and ultimately knew what he’s admitted about Trump’s continued hiding of documents, including and especially classified ones. I for one think he damn well knew about the crimes well, perhaps even long before that week or so before that affidavit was prepared. If I’m right about that it means long before then he should have hired his own lawyer and approached the FBI with what he knew. Since the crime/fraud exception to attorney/client privilege applies in this case while there were details to be worked out he’d have been covered legally. More importantly, the process of conducting formal searches of Trump’s properties to recover docs and start doing the National Security damage assessment could have and SHOULD have started far earlier. Also, while we could never be sure we’d have more confidence in the extent of the damage.
But Corcoran kept silent and kept collecting money (ah, those billable hours!) hoping maybe DOJ wouldn’t have the stones to actually take on Trump and maybe charge him with crimes!
I’m sure some kind of deal was worked out to get Corcoran’s cooperation. But no one should EVER starting thinking of Corcoran as a “good guy” in all this mess.
I wonder if Corcoran’s original statement regarding the 38 documents was weasel-wordy enough to keep him from facing a charge of LYING TO INVESTIGATORS? I would hope he worded the “that’s all the documents” statement with something like “This was the extent of the documents that *I* was able to discover in my search” along with a disclaimer of “I was waved off of various areas of the property so I was unable to ascertain the existence of any additional documents”; otherwise, he’d better be ready to plan on a little bit of jail time either for LYING TO INVESTIGATORS or UNINTENTIONALLY IMPEDING AN INVESTIGATION (the former will probably net some serious jail time while the latter would merit a fine or something like a 30-day sentence) but I’m betting his license to practice law is probably going to be pulled.
Ithink people are misreading the reference to documents dated after Trumpleft office. I think the dates refer to other documents mixed in with the presidential documents, not classified or presidential documents themselves.
correct. it shows that the classified docs were being handled after he left office, not just stored.
Fascists covering their crimes by lying. Who could have predicted that? Time to dig up the ex and see what she’s evidently reading in the grave. Bet we find more stuff!
Yeah, Scott. That whole grave thing with Ivana is too fishy to say the least. Who does that??!!
We may be surprised by the extent and the seriousness of charges that are brought against trump and his associates. If Smith elevates them to conspiracy, trump and those who carried out his orders will be put away for a long time. What is striking are the documents trump obtained after leaving office. This takes us well beyond breaking record-keeping laws to espionage. If Smith has been able to trace the sensitive information that almost certainly leaked out of Mar-a-Lago and show that trump benefited from the transfer, then he will be spending his remaining days behind bars, and not at Club Fed. The Rosenbergs were electrocuted for less.