Trump Aide That Spilled the “Classified Scrap Paper” Info. Knows Plenty More

I was tending to a household chore while listening to Rachel Maddow earlier and she said something that made my ears perk up.  Stopped me cold in fact.  Although she was talking about the Trump aide who told Jack Smith’s team about the whole Trump using classified documents as scrap paper (i.e. writing “to do” lists on the back of notecards prepared for important calls with foreign leaders – which had classified markings on the front where the info. was) this same aide comes in in the January 6 case!

Uh Oh. (At least if you’re Trump or on his legal team)

I couldn’t remember her name so I did a quick search and found this article from Rolling Stone.  It cites reporting from ABC News that Molly Michaels who worked as an assistant to Trump between 2018-2022 repeatedly got handwritten directives from Trump on notecards that contained classified markings on the front.  In plain terms one could say since it wasn’t a big, fancy sheet of paper it was handy “scrap paper” Trump liked to use.  Now, if you’re asking for details here you go.

A lot of staff work goes into preparing a President for a call (or even sometimes a face-to-face in the Oval Office) with a foreign leader and classified information, including highly classified information might or likely will be discussed.  So staff will prepare and be ready with cards with a “talking point” for a President.  If the information on a given card happens to be classified then it has the appropriate markings.  Sometimes it’s even only a reminder to the President and not meant to be shared – NOFORN (don’t talk about show to foreigners) is the designation in this case.

The point is that not all classified, even highly classified information is contained on the kinds of fancy documents with the fancy cover sheets you so often see in pictures about this matter.  A more important point when it comes to the National Security trial involving classified documents down in FL (which is why this story broke) is that it’s more proof that Trump had a pattern and practice of showing, even handing over classified information to people without clearance to see/have it!  That issue with the writer at Bedminster during that phone call where Trump apparently waved around (and showed the journalist) a classified document suddenly has some powerful corroboration.  From Rolling Stone:

Michael’s testimony could now become a key factor in proving prosecutors’ allegations that Trump not only retained classified documents he had no right to after leaving office, but that he shared the contents of the materials with individuals unauthorized to view them.

Here’s the best part though.  Just as Cassidy Hutchinson knew damned near everything about Mark Meadows and was, at least after thinking things over willing to tell all Molly Meadows was in a similar position with Trump.  As I think Maddow put it outside the door and tending to managing his communications with others including taking orders from him to do this or that.  That folks means she’s probably got things of her own to tell about goings on in and around the Oval Office on January 6.  It’s also likely she set up calls, confirmed meetings and so on with various players and co-conspirators in the whole scheme.  Michaels might have NOTES, records, “receipts” of the comings and goings and also call logs.  Or if not logs of the latter her memory which if it’s good and there’s even a bit of corroboration will be devastating to Trump and his as yet unindicted co-conspirators.

Maybe this is why Trump has been freaking out so much lately.  Ok, so he’s always freaking out but lately it’s at a new level.  Could it be that Molly Michaels might become to Trump what Cassidy Hutchinson became to Mark Meadows?  We can hope.

For the moment, as incredulous as the whole FL part of this is it just might turn out to be the tip of the iceberg with this particular witness who clearly decided she wasn’t about to risk jail for Donald J. Trump.  Stay tuned because I think we are going to be hearing a lot more, a LOT more from Ms. Michaels in the not too distant future.