Trump’s lawyers are starting to get it. The way to avoid a second search warrant and all the criminality it implies is to simply turn over what he has so that he can look like Biden and Pence. His lawyers did exactly that just last month. Except there is one glaring difference. Some of the classified documents were uploaded onto a laptop and put on thumb drives. Why would someone do that?
There are obviously no good answers. From Rolling Stone:
In December, Trump’s legal team found pages marked classified while going through boxes at his Mar-a-Lago residence, per the report. While his lawyers handed the material over to the Justice Department, a Trump aide (who works for Save America PAC) had previously copied those same pages onto a laptop and thumb drive—the aide reportedly did not realize they were classified. In January, the laptop, which belonged to the aide, and the thumb drive were handed over to investigators.
Sorry, I’m not buying that for a second. One doesn’t upload documents without a reason to preserve those documents in a different form than the paper that is almost always marked “classified.” The reason one uploads those documents is obvious and very dark. One can make as many copies as one wants and, with the press of one key through “What’sApp” or even a burner email account, the information can be in Moscow or Riyadh in seconds.
Among the previously undisclosed handovers was an empty folder marked “Classified Evening Briefing,” sources told CNN.
Empty? So where would the actual documents be?
Twitter absolutely LOVES it:
NEW: “Trump attorney James Trusty turned over the folder with classification markings to federal investigators, and also informed agents that it had been electronically copied to a laptop of a current Trump aide.”
COPIED?! https://t.co/7hIXgkE7Cy
— Katie S. Phang (@KatiePhang) February 11, 2023
Trump flushed docs he was required to keep.
He stole, hid & refuses to return classified docs.
43 folders marked classified were empty.
I hope stealing these docs is what finally sends him to jail.#ProudBlue #TrumpLaptop #TrumpForPrison pic.twitter.com/UhvgTJc1w1
— LA Blue Dot in GA 🌊💔 (@namwella1961) February 11, 2023
Trump laptop??????
Dear @Jim_Jordan ,
Will there be a hearing on the trump laptop? pic.twitter.com/4Jcgbt1FjG— Christopher Gibbs (@ChrisRGibbs) February 11, 2023
How do you say you’re fukked in Magatese? Oh the irony!! I need to laugh in someone’s face right now… I’m going down to the piggly wiggly 😂#TrumpLaptop pic.twitter.com/vN87eDcb9W
— Longjacket 💔🤸♀️💙 (@Longjacket2) February 11, 2023
Wait.
So the Top Secret Classified documents Trump stole were digitized AND copied onto thumb drives for the first time ever?
We need hearings on the Trump Laptop ASAP. #TrumpLaptop #PAB https://t.co/DLgRTlMVTG— Brian Ray (@brianrayguitar) February 11, 2023
The FBI and Jack Smith’s team recovered a new folder with classified markings at Mar-A-Lago as well as a laptop that included material from that classified folder at Mar-A-Lago.
There is no more excuse to have him walking around in public. LOCK HIM UP!#TrumpLaptop pic.twitter.com/WkEXMcnD9X
— James Tate (@JamesTate121) February 11, 2023
This is a big problem for Trump and possibly the nation.
****
[email protected], @JasonMiciak: SUBSTACK: MUCH LEFT ADO
I keep wondering why Maga Lardo is his only property that has been searched when all of Biden’s and Pence’s homes and offices are being searched. His illegal theft of not just classified but highly classified docs is what started the searches yet he’s not being as thoroughly searched as the others? Please, somebody, take this mo-fo down and do it now! He has screwed this country up and over long enough.
They don’t have the evidence they need to get search warrants for his other properties.
Who scanned the docs to the thumbdrive? Because that person should have seen the classification markings – they’re on the pages as well as the folder.
But….’her emails!’ 45 is going to try and deflect and divert. This is big fucking bad shit. Once it’s on a laptop – we all know – it can go anywhere to anyone. A clear and present danger.
Having once held a security clearance let me make a couple of points. EVERY page of a classified document has those big, block red letters that say CLASSIFIED and the level of classification at the top of each page. So the excuse that “Golly gee, I didn’t notice any classification marking” is pure unadulterated bullshit. Oh, they might try saying they didn’t notice because that big classification marking wasn’t red, but black – which means someone copied it and therefore someone else committed yet another crime. But still, I call bullshit on anyone who isn’t legally blind NOT seeing those big block letters at the top of each page.
That brings me to a second question/point. Did this aide have a security clearance? If so then they goddamned well knew what I just wrote. And that even when he was President Trump himself, much less someone lower in the Chain of Command telling them to copy documents onto electronic mediums was an illegal order. Copies of classified documents can of course be made and distributed BUT there’s a system for tracking and accounting for them. (clearly a too casual attitude has developed when it comes to tracking and ensuring the return of classified documents) But no govt. paycheck is worth the prison time the felony(s) of transferring all that material to thumb drives and laptops.
I think we now know why charges on the Trump classified documents haven’t been filed yet. Smith’s team needs to roll up any and everyone involved in this. He can call on the National Security apparatus in addition to the FBI for all the investigative resources he needs and by god I hope that’s exactly what he’s been doing. This has got to be charged and soon. We are past the traditional, plodding stage of things and actually charging people, this aide for example is the stick of dynamite up the ass that could finally explode this matter into the open and cover Trump in the process. At least that’s how I see it.
I’m re-reading a book about a major WWII battle and at one point it touched on the difference between Montgomery and Patton. The former was methodical and by-the-book and if not gutless like McClellan in our Civil War he wouldn’t do a fucking thing it seemed until every detail down to how many bullets and day’s rations each solider carried. Or so it seemed. Patton was far more aggressive and his “always attack” standing order was considered reckless. It’s interesting that forces under Montgomery’s command took much higher casualties than troops under Patton. In fact, despite his “Old Blood & Guts” nickname Patton’s troop’s casualties were among the lowest of major commanders in WWII.
Smith (and Garland) doesn’t have to wait until the case against Trump on every single avenue of investigation/crimes is developed. Prosecutions can take place on different areas and in different courtrooms. Federal prosecutors are too often notorious for being like Montgomery. Our country and our national security on ON FUCKING FIRE and we KNOW Trump broke the law. He and his lawyers have admitted it, albeit attempting to excuse having done so via “powers” that don’t exist anywhere in national security policy of the Code of Federal Regulations! Smith needs to make like Patton and attack with charges. Get Trump’s fat orange ass into court on the one simple, clear matter and like Patton’s troops not backing off but continuing to attack the defenders will be on their heels and unable to effectively regroup.
We have been assured by experts that know Garland that he will indict (Smith cannot make that decision, only a recommendation that the A.G. is supposed to ALWAYS follow bc if they don’t, what’s the point? But Garland has waited so long (I don’t think he wanted to prosecute Trump but the evidence will force him.)
In this instance, his problem was ignoring the issue for over a year. But meticulously making sure everything is in place is absolutely required bc every judge and every appellate judge will be looking for an excuse to dismiss and avoid the limelight and the threats to his/her person.
Is any more proof needed for the old axiom: “every Republican accusation is a confession”?
Last time I looked selling/giving away classified material was against U.S. law and is in fact a very serious felony. I’m pretty fucking sure this law applies to orange shit gibbons just as it does the rest of us. It is way past time to put the mango moron on trial for treason.
I know from the experience I gained when I worked for the US Army Intelligence Center and School at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, plus just for living with a husband who was working with classified material, that the very first page of a classified document is clearly marked with its classified material along with every other page. There is no way that anyone would handle this material without knowing its classification.
Trump will be indicted as soon as Garland grows a pair.
Not holding my breath waiting for either to happen.