Months before former President Donald Trump was indicted for mishandling classified documents, a federal judge indicated there was "strong evidence" suggesting that Trump intended to conceal classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Newly unsealed court documents reveal these insights, shedding light on the depth of the investigation and the legal battles that ensued. In March 2023, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell noted that investigators found additional classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, months after an initial FBI search in the summer of 2022. Among these were a "mostly empty" folder labeled "Classified Evening Summary" discovered in Trump's bedroom, and four other documents with classification markings found in his post-presidential office.

 

Judge Howell, appointed by President Obama, highlighted the lack of explanation from Trump regarding how these documents were overlooked in his own residence. These revelations were part of hundreds of pages of previously sealed filings made public recently. Images and details within the unsealed documents indicate that Trump's personal aide, Walt Nauta, moved boxes around Mar-a-Lago prior to a review by Trump’s attorney, which was intended to locate classified materials in response to a subpoena. Prosecutors allege that Nauta's actions were part of a broader conspiracy to hide classified information from federal investigators. Nauta, along with Trump and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira, has been charged with mishandling classified materials and obstruction, all pleading not guilty.

 

 

Screenshots from surveillance footage dated June 1, 2022, show Nauta moving boxes shortly before Trump’s attorney was scheduled to inspect them. This movement of boxes plays a critical role in the prosecution's case, suggesting deliberate attempts to obstruct the investigation. Trump’s defense team is working to dismiss parts of the prosecution's case, including evidence obtained from the search of Mar-a-Lago and testimony from Trump’s former attorney, Evan Corcoran. They argue the search warrant was invalid due to misrepresentations by an FBI agent to the magistrate judge. Additionally, they contest Judge Howell’s ruling that compelled Corcoran to testify and produce documents previously withheld under attorney-client privilege.

 

Judge Howell asserted that prosecutors had enough evidence to demonstrate that Trump used Corcoran as a "front man" to obstruct the investigation and retain classified documents unlawfully. Corcoran's pivotal role in the investigation included his task to find and return documents with classified markings at Mar-a-Lago. Howell’s ruling also recounts how Trump allegedly misled the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and curbed efforts to comply with requests for returning classified materials.

 

The unsealed documents include a law enforcement operations order outlining the FBI’s search protocol at Mar-a-Lago. This document, standard in its nature, became a point of contention as Trump publicly claimed it authorized deadly force during the raid. The FBI clarified that the document followed standard protocols and did not include any extraordinary measures.

Trump's defense is also aiming to suppress 21 of the 32 national security documents found in his possession during the August 8, 2022, search. They argue that excluding these documents and their associated charges, including the obstruction charge centered around Corcoran, would significantly weaken the prosecution's case.

 

The case against Trump, which began last summer, is currently overseen by Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee. Trump’s defense is seeking to invalidate evidence and testimonies, challenging the legal grounds of the search warrant and Howell’s rulings. Judge Howell recounted that Trump "deliberately curtailed his staff’s efforts to comply" with NARA's retrieval efforts, suggesting that his actions were a prelude to obstructing the May 11, 2022, subpoena.

 

 

Credit: CNN 2024-05-23

 

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Obviously to any rational person trump was knowingly hiding the documents it’s as obvious as the nose on your face the biggest concern to me personally is why??then I think back to his first day in office inviting the Russians into the Oval Office without and security it went down hill from there…..remember helinsky?……no wonder Putin thought Ukraine was going to be a pushover then his comments on nato after he was voted out of office…….yup deeply concerning regardless the dude has two much baggage,ditch the albatross take the hit and return to being the political party I could vote for……..

Were are all the fluffers jumping to trumps defense?oh and now he’s saying the FBI officers that carried out the search warrant were really a hit team sent out to kill the precious little trust fund baby he’s getting nutter by the day

5 minutes ago, Tug said:

Were are all the fluffers jumping to trumps defense?oh and now he’s saying the FBI officers that carried out the search warrant were really a hit team sent out to kill the precious little trust fund baby he’s getting nutter by the day

They are discussing it in McDonald's as we speak.......😂

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

They argue the search warrant was invalid due to misrepresentations by an FBI agent to the magistrate judge. Additionally, they contest Judge Howell’s ruling that compelled Corcoran to testify and produce documents previously withheld under attorney-client privilege.

 

They aren't denying the charges, then. Just saying they were caught out by 'deception'.

This case is rock solid and impossible for the con-man to be exonerated...unless he's got a crooked and corrupt, inept Trump appointed sycophant judge in his pocket. Oh wait...he does❗Aileen Cannon...and she's doing/done everything possible to delay this trial until after the election. This rookie, Trump bought farce of judge is his only hope. She needs to be removed from this case, since she has no intention of doing the ethical (and required) thing by recusing herself. 

 

(a)Any justice, judge, or magistrate judge of the United States shall disqualify himself/herself in any proceeding in which his/her impartiality might reasonably be questioned.

(b)He/she shall also disqualify himself/herself in the following circumstances:

(1)Where he/she has a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party

 

-28 U.S. Code 455

Edited May 23, 20242 yr by Skeptic7

2 hours ago, transam said:

They are discussing it in McDonald's as we speak.......😂

Waiting for instructions from HQ….

5 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

Waiting for instructions from HQ….

Translating them..........😋

Can't he just say he forgot, like Biden? Or does that only work for Democrats?

 

 

10 hours ago, Tug said:

I think back to his first day in office inviting the Russians into the Oval Office without and security it went down hill from there

Even worse Trump would only allow a Russian Translator to the meeting and no US stenographer to record his conversation. 

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Can't he just say he forgot, like Biden? Or does that only work for Democrats?

 

 

I am thinking he screwed up that defense but not cooperating but rather resisted returning the material. Bit of a difference with Bide … say what?

4 hours ago, Tug said:

Were are all the fluffers jumping to trumps defense?oh and now he’s saying the FBI officers that carried out the search warrant were really a hit team sent out to kill the precious little trust fund baby he’s getting nutter by the day

I enjoyed hearing Bannon go off on the assassination plot. But most enjoyed a commentary that the raid was specifically timed for when Trump was not going to be there. 

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Can't he just say he forgot, like Biden? Or does that only work for Democrats?

 

 

To late for that, Democracy says we must adhere to the weaponization of the current ideological establishment !

The current occupant in the WH has weaponized his position through all agencies! Imop

 I see more pics with this story!

The last time pics came out with classified docs Jack’s  Fbi team tampered with them.

Smith’s team revealed in the filing that FBI agents carried printed “classified cover sheets” during the Aug. 8, 2022, search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and used them to replace any classified documents they discovered in cardboard Bankers Boxes that littered the former president’s residence.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/03/mar-a-lago-trump-classified-documents-00156124

 

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Can't he just say he forgot, like Biden? Or does that only work for Democrats?

 

 

It certainly doesn't work as he was caught hiding documents and lying about it, corroborated by CCTV video, photos and testimonies.

2 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

She needs to be removed from this case, since she has no intention of doing the ethical (and required) thing by recusing herself. 

Here's as start:

 

28 U.S. Code § 351 - Complaints; judge defined

 

(a)Filing of Complaint by Any Person.—
Any person alleging that a judge has engaged in conduct prejudicial to the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts, or alleging that such judge is unable to discharge all the duties of office by reason of mental or physical disability, may file with the clerk of the court of appeals for the circuit a written complaint containing a brief statement of the facts constituting such conduct.

 

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/351

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Can't he just say he forgot, like Biden? Or does that only work for Democrats?

 

 

Not a very good attempt at Whataboutism. I believe your messiah has remedial classes at his defunct scam university.

 

Biden, like Reagan and Pence, brought home notes that did have information that was considered classified. It was first investigated under Reagan, and a precedent was established that said such personal notes could be returned and redacted, and then returned to the ex-President or VP for his library. All three of those men fully cooperated with authorities.

 

The country club owner specifically stole not personal notes, but classified documents rated TS, SCI, SAP, SITK, Codeword, HCS and RD. He should not have even seen the HCS docs when he was POTUS, as he had no 'need to know'. No way DCI Gina Haspel gave them to him, nor his first DNI Coats. Certainly not Sue Gordon. It had to have been the two clowns he appointed to ODNI, Grenell and Ratcliffe.

 

HCS is 'human clandestine sources' and may well be deep penetrations of hostile nation governments or terrorist organizations. A damage assessment would have had to be done when it was discovered he had those in non-secure locations. It is possible some clandestine assets would have had to be ex-filled, along with their families. It's also possible other existing clandestine sources would have quit, realizing that an idiotic, self-serving, reckless bozo like 45 could get them exposed, even sell their names to people like Putin and Xi.

 

With the other material, it has to be assumed that, too, was exposed. The US now has to assume such things as advanced weapons technology, the NATO Order of Battle, even the nuclear codes (which are not so much codes as targets and weapons to be used in any counterstrike, such as Trident missiles to Russian ICMB sites).

 

At his country club, anybody willing to pay $200K can join, including MSS case officers.

 

He stole the docs, none were declassified (even a POTUS cannot declassify RD docs), lied about returning them, and had his goobers move the docs around to hide them from FBI and other authorities.

 

ANYBODY else with even one of those highly classified docs would be in jail awaiting trial. An NSA analyst took a few TS docs home to work on over a weekend (not to monetize them as the country club owner likely wanted to do). The NSA analyst is doing 9 years in jail.

1 minute ago, riclag said:

To late for that, Democracy says we must adhere to the weaponization of the current ideological establishment !

The current occupant in the WH has weaponized his position through all agencies! Imop

 I see more pics with this story!

The last time pics came out with classified docs Jack’s  Fbi team tampered with them.

Smith’s team revealed in the filing that FBI agents carried printed “classified cover sheets” during the Aug. 8, 2022, search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and used them to replace any classified documents they discovered in cardboard Bankers Boxes that littered the former president’s residence.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/03/mar-a-lago-trump-classified-documents-00156124

 

You forgot again to cite the first paragraph of the article! It's so obvious why! 😀

 

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team acknowledged Friday that some evidence in the prosecution of former President Donald Trump for hoarding classified documents at his Florida home may not be in the same sequence FBI agents found it when they swept into the Mar-a-Lago compound with a search warrant in August 2022.

 

So it's peanuts! It's just about the sequence of documents. 😀

The current administration and its agencies are desperately interfering with the current elections  by using lawfare .
 

https://highlandcountypress.com/opinions/unredactions-reveal-early-biden-white-house-involvement-trump-documents-case#gsc.tab=0

The new information confirms Fox News reporting from August, when NARA acting head Debra Wall wrote a letter to Trump's attorney alluding to the administration's involvement.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-white-house-officials-involved-mar-a-lago-raid-despite-claiming-otherwise-report

Edited May 23, 20242 yr by riclag

The worst things are for tRump, the better and happier I feel 😎
Can you imagine how I would feel if he just drops dead or goes to jail for several life-times?!? 😅

1 hour ago, riclag said:

The current administration and its agencies are desperately interfering with the current elections  by using lawfare .
 

https://highlandcountypress.com/opinions/unredactions-reveal-early-biden-white-house-involvement-trump-documents-case#gsc.tab=0

The new information confirms Fox News reporting from August, when NARA acting head Debra Wall wrote a letter to Trump's attorney alluding to the administration's involvement.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-white-house-officials-involved-mar-a-lago-raid-despite-claiming-otherwise-report

Debunked old propaganda! 😃

Edited May 23, 20242 yr by candide

1 hour ago, JulesMad said:

The worst things are for tRump, the better and happier I feel 😎
Can you imagine how I would feel if he just drops dead or goes to jail for several life-times?!? 😅

That actually says far more about you than it does Trump

Trump still odds-on at my bookmakers for a win in November.. Any thoughts ?

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Can't he just say he forgot, like Biden? Or does that only work for Democrats?

 

 

This just goes to prove how ignorant, uninformed, out if touch and allergic to fact finding you Trump Cultists really are. 🤮

29 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Trump still odds-on at my bookmakers for a win in November.. Any thoughts ?

What odds are YOU giving❓

40 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Trump still odds-on at my bookmakers for a win in November.. Any thoughts ?

Lots. But I can’t share them here, or I would be banned for life from this forum.

It should be interesting to see how Trump's rally goes today in the deep blue Bronx NY.  

20 minutes ago, nattaya09 said:

It should be interesting to see how Trump's rally goes today in the deep blue Bronx NY.  

Off topic sorry

Edited May 23, 20242 yr by riclag

2 hours ago, nattaya09 said:

It should be interesting to see how Trump's rally goes today in the deep blue Bronx NY.  

Tar and feathers? 😀

The reasons for taking, hiding and refusing to return these documents are blatantly obvious ------ unless you are a member of the cult.

It's Cannon's case, and like I've been saying this case will be thrown out or remain open until either she retires or DT croaks.

The real hero of this sick piece of US history in the making may turn out to be DT's health:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/wellness/is-donald-trump-s-health-collapsing-ex-prez-sparks-concerns-after-dripping-in-sweat-coming-from-cold-courtroom/ar-BB1mRHSh?item=deferred_page:1/1000