Trump lawyer does not ‘believe’ that secret nuclear documents found at Mar-a-Lago
A Florida judge has unsealed the FBI search warrant that allowed agents to enter Donald Trump’s Palm Beach home on Monday.
According to a copy of the warrant and inventory of documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago which was obtained by The Independent, agents recovered from the ex-president a set of papers bearing markings identifying them as Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information — a level of classification above the top secret level which is often applied to intelligence sources as well as the US nuclear arsenal.
Items were removed from the property that were there in violation of the Espionage Act, which makes it a crime to remove information related to national defence “from its proper place of custody” as well as sections of US criminal law covering obstruction of justice and removing government records. Mr Trump has repeatedly suggested without basis that the FBI planted evidence during the search.
On Thursday, the Department of Justice filed a motion to unseal the warrant, with Attorney General Merrick Garland stressing that the decision was not taken lightly – and confirming that he personally authorised the decision to seek the warrant in the first place.
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FBI were looking for ‘classified nuclear documents’, report says
FBI agents were looking for “classified nuclear documents” during their dramatic search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, according to a new report.
It comes just hours after Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Department of Justice had asked a federal judge in Florida to unseal the search warrant following a barrage of criticism from the former president and many Republicans.
FBI were looking for ‘classified nuclear documents’ during search of Mar-a-Lago
Government officials were reportedly concerned information was ‘potentially in danger of falling into the wrong hands’
Oliver O’Connell13 August 2022 00:15
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Report: Ex-Trump cabinet member Elaine Chao has spoken to Jan 6 committee
Former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has become the latest senior Trump administration official to sit for an interview with the Janusry 6 committee, according to a new CNN report.
Bevan Hurley reports that she is not alone as a Trump cabinet member in touch with the investigative panel.
Ex-Trump cabinet member Elaine Chao has spoken to Jan 6 committee, report says
At least nine former Trump cabinet secretaries have now spoken to the Jan 6 committee
Oliver O’Connell12 August 2022 23:45
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What is the Espionage Act?
What do the transgender whistleblower Chelsea Manning, the 1950s Soviet spy Julius Rosenberg, and former president Donald Trump all have in common?
The answer, according to a now-public search warrant for the FBI’s extraordinary raid on Mr Trump’s Florida home of Mar-a-Lago on Monday, is that all four have been investigated under suspicion of violating the Espionage Act of 1917.
What is the Espionage Act that Trump is being investigated under?
The former president’s home was searched under a controversial law passed in 1917 to prevent spying and leaking of government documents
Oliver O’Connell12 August 2022 23:20
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Kushner and Melania pointed to as possible moles in FBI raid
Jared Kushner, Melania Trump, and many others have been pointed to as possible FBI informants following the raid on Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s private club in Southern Florida.
Insiders say Trump is panicking as Kushner and Melania pointed to as possible moles
Donald Trump is reportedly trying to hunt down someone who could’ve communicated with federal authorities
Oliver O’Connell12 August 2022 23:15
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Trump’s attempt at diverting attention to Obama records swiftly debunked
As the FBI’s search warrant for Donald Trump’s Palm Beach residence was unsealed by a Florida judge, the former president continued to propagate a conspiracy theory regarding his predecessor as a way of diverting attention.
Unfortunately for Mr Trump, his efforts on Friday were swiftly and publicly debunked by the National Archives, which rejected his baseless accusation.
Trump fails to divert attention to Obama over ‘nuclear’ records scandal
National Archives refutes baseless allegations of former president
Oliver O’Connell12 August 2022 22:45
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Here’s what the FBI seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home
There was a order pardoning his friend Roger Stone, and 11 boxes of classified documents. There was a box bound in “leather”, and information about the “president of France”.
There were “miscellaneous secret documents”, and a binder of photos.
These were among the items taken by the FBI when they raided Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago, according to the search warrant released by a judge on Friday.
Andrew Buncombe, The Independent’s chief US correspondent, takes a close look at what the FBI took away from Mar-a-Lago.
Here’s what the FBI seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home
There was a order pardoning his friend Roger Stone, and 11 boxes of classified documents. There was a box bound in “leather”, and information about the “president of France”.
Oliver O’Connell12 August 2022 22:24
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From mundane to explosive: What nuclear documents might Trump have had at Mar-a-Lago?
From the moment FBI agents walked out of Mar-a-Lago with boxes under their arms, the contents of the documents contained within have been the subject of fierce speculation.
The nature of those documents could determine the level of legal peril Donald Trump faces in the Department of Justice’s investigation into his handling of classified information.
Federal authorities have given few clues about what they removed from the former president’s residence on Monday morning, but the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that around 20 boxes were taken from the residence, including “Various classified/TS/SCI documents,” an abbreviation that refers to top-secret/sensitive compartmented information.
The report followed a story in which sources familiar with the investigation told theWashington Post that “classified documents relating to nuclear weapons” were among the items being sought.
The Independent’s Richard Hall investigates what those documents might’ve been.
We asked nuclear security experts about the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago
The possibilities range from the mundane to the explosive, Richard Hall reports
Oliver O’Connell12 August 2022 22:05
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What is the Espionage Act?
The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida has left both supporters and critics of the ex-president alike questioning why the Justice Department would take such an unprecedented step.
At a press conference on Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland could do little to tamp down on the speculation, citing federal laws restricting his ability to speak about the case. He did, however, announce that the Justice Department had filed a motion to unseal the warrant and make it public record.
Adding to the speculation is the the refusal from Mr Trump himself to produce a copy of the warrant and show publicly what the stated reasoning was for the search.
One possibility that has begun to be discussed by analysts familiar with presidential records procedures is the potential that the investigation involves not just a simple breach of the Federal Records Act but is actually focused on an alleged breach of the Espionage Act, a World War I-era law most known for dealing with the theft of information that could harm national security.
Is Trump being investigated over national security concerns under the Espionage Act?
Potential criminal violations could be more severe than simple breach of records law
Oliver O’Connell12 August 2022 21:45
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GOP escalates dark rhetoric after FBI search, still backing Trump
Republicans in Congress who are relying on Donald Trump to excite voters in the fall elections are not only defending the former president against the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago home but politically capitalizing on it with grave and potentially dangerous rhetoric against the nation’s justice system.
The party that once stood staunchly for law-and-order has dramatically reversed course, stirring up opposition to the FBI and tapping into political grievances and far-right conspiracies that fed the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
It’s all part of the GOP’s election year strategy to harness voter outrage over the unprecedented search, quickly and unequivocally set in motion as Trump hosted a dozen Republicans for dinner of steak and scallops at his private Bedminster club the day after the FBI action.
GOP backs Trump, escalates dark rhetoric after FBI search
Republicans in Congress are not only defending Donald Trump against the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago home
Oliver O’Connell12 August 2022 21:23
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Unsealed search warrant suggests ex-president being investigated under Espionage Act
FBI agents who searched former president Donald Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida home on Monday reportedly found documents classified above top secret as well as the paperwork for Trump ally Roger Stone’s pardon and information about French president Emmanuel Macron.
According to a copy of the warrant and inventory of documents recovered from Mr Trump’s property which was obtained by The Independent, agents recovered from the ex-president a set of papers bearing markings identifying them as Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information — a level of classification above the top secret level which is often applied to intelligence sources as well as the US nuclear arsenal.
Andrew Feinberg is examining the details of the unsealed document for The Independent.
Unsealed Mar-a-Lago warrant suggests Trump being investigated under Espionage Act
A copy of the warrant obtained by The Independent shows Mr Trump is under investigation for violations of three US laws, including the Espionage Act
Oliver O’Connell12 August 2022 20:59
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The post Trump news – live: Ex-president reacts furiously as Mar-a-Lago warrant reveals Espionage Act probe appeared first on thewashingtondigest.com.
