Mar-A-Lago Legally Searched by FBI

[Chap]

When in trouble, just lie:

National Archives counters Trump’s baseless claims about Obama records

And it will work like a charm, because your base will suck it up. They prefer your exciting lies to the dullness of truth.

The National Archives and Records Administration issued a statement Friday in an attempt to counter misstatements about former president Barack Obama’s presidential records after several days of misinformation that had been spread by former president Donald Trump and conservative commentators.
Since the FBI search of his Florida home and club this week for classified documents, Trump has asserted in social media posts that Obama “kept 33 million pages of documents, much of them classified” and that they were “taken to Chicago by President Obama.”
In its statement, NARA said that it obtained “exclusive legal and physical custody” of Obama’s records when he left office in 2017. It said that about 30 million pages of unclassified records were transferred to a NARA facility in the Chicago area and that they continue to be maintained “exclusively by NARA.”
Classified records from Obama are kept in a NARA facility in Washington, the statement said.
“As required by the [Presidential Records Act], former President Obama has no control over where and how NARA stores the Presidential records of his Administration,” the statement said.
Despite the official statement, Trump continued to peddle his false claims in light of The Washington Post report that classified documents relating to nuclear weapons were among the items FBI agents sought in a search of Trump’s Florida residence Monday, according to people familiar with the investigation.
Within minutes of the statement from the Archives, Trump again pushed his evidence-free claim in response to the latest reports, saying, “What are they going to do with the 33 million pages of documents, many of which are classified, that President Obama took to Chicago?”

[Morley]

Again the question I ask is "WHY DID HE TAKE THESE DOCUMENTS"" - to what end?

Exactly. It's the answer to this question that everything is going to hinge on.

Which documents? The ones that the anonymous source said they took after getting a home raid warrant which were not taken during routine due diligence earlier this year, according to anonymous sources?

Binger, I try to treat you and your arguments with respect. Why are you tossing shitbombs my way? If you have a point to make, type it out. If you have a real question, please ask.

[¥akaSteelhead]

The documents that Trump was subpoenaed to return but didn't which resulted in the execution of a search warrant noting probable cause to believe violations of the espionage act, and obstruction charges.

Those documents.

[canpakes]

Oh cool. They took miscellaneous top secret documents? Wow.

My documents are secretive.

Cool. I’ll be by later to pick them up. You won’t mind, I take it?

[MeDotOrg]

From Politico:

A search warrant newly unsealed on Friday reveals that the FBI is investigating Donald Trump for a potential violation of the Espionage Act and removed classified documents from the former president’s Florida estate earlier this week.

A receipt accompanying the search warrant, viewed by POLITICO in advance of its unsealing, shows that Trump possessed documents including a handwritten note; documents marked with “TS/SCI,” which indicates one of the highest levels of government classification; and another item labeled “information re: President of France.”

Also among the items taken from Mar-a-Lago this week: An item labeled “Executive grant of clemency re: Roger Jason Stone, Jr.,” a reference to one of Trump’s closest confidants who received a pardon in late 2020.

The warrant shows federal law enforcement was investigating Trump for removal or destruction of records, obstruction of justice and violating the Espionage Act — which can encompass crimes beyond spying, such as the refusal to return national security documents upon request. Conviction under the statutes can result in imprisonment or fines.

The documents, unsealed after the Justice Department sought their public disclosure amid relentless attacks by Trump and his GOP allies, underscore the extraordinary national security threat that federal investigators believed the missing documents presented. The concern grew so acute that Attorney General Merrick Garland approved the unprecedented search of Trump’s estate last week.

The disclosure of the documents comes four days after Trump publicly confirmed the court-authorized search of his Mar-a-Lago home by the FBI, marshaling his political allies to unleash fierce criticism of federal investigators. But the details in the warrant underscore the gravity of the probe — an unprecedented investigation of a former president for mishandling some of the nation’s most sensitive secrets.

Trump has claimed since Monday that he has cooperated with investigators from the National Archives and FBI for months and that the unannounced search was an unnecessary escalation. But after several rounds of negotiations in which materials were recovered by the Archives, federal investigators came to believe Trump hadn’t returned everything in his possession.

The search warrant, signed on Aug. 5 by federal magistrate judge Bruce Reinhart, revealed that dozens of items were seized, most of them described in vague terms like “leatherbound box of documents,” “binder of photos” and “handwritten note.”

Other items on the list indicate the presence of classified material, describing them as “miscellaneous top secret documents” and “miscellaneous confidential documents.”

Stone’s attorney Grant Smith said that the longtime Trump ally “has no knowledge as to the facts surrounding his clemency documents appearing on the inventory of items seized from former President Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago.”

Shortly after 3 p.m., the Justice Department confirmed that Trump’s lawyers would not oppose the public release of the search warrant and underlying receipt of materials, which had already begun to circulate widely.

Meridith McGraw contributed reporting.

It's going to take a little time to digest all this, but TS/SCI is a term I think we will hear a lot in the next 24 hours. As to what information he had about Macron, I'm not sure how much we will ever find out.

There was also a Talking Heads 'anonymous sources' report which indicated that sources close to Trump were reaching out to his allies, letting them know this may not be the best time to make a vociferous defense of the ex-President.

Expect a lot of camera footage showing Trump supporters hurrying into elevators.

[¥akaSteelhead]

Steve Vladeck (one of the best constitutional lawyers in the country) on Twitter:

Steve Vladeck
@steve_vladeck
·
23m
Replying to
@steve_vladeck
1519 is about more than just holding on to documents; it’s about messing with them. And if the concern was that President Trump was simply retaining classified information, why use 793 but *not* 1924? This is all speculation, but it sure points to something beyond mere retention.

[Binger]

From Politico:

A search warrant newly unsealed on Friday reveals that the FBI is investigating Donald Trump for a potential violation of the Espionage Act and removed classified documents from the former president’s Florida estate earlier this week.

A receipt accompanying the search warrant, viewed by POLITICO in advance of its unsealing, shows that Trump possessed documents including a handwritten note; documents marked with “TS/SCI,” which indicates one of the highest levels of government classification; and another item labeled “information re: President of France.”

Also among the items taken from Mar-a-Lago this week: An item labeled “Executive grant of clemency re: Roger Jason Stone, Jr.,” a reference to one of Trump’s closest confidants who received a pardon in late 2020.

The warrant shows federal law enforcement was investigating Trump for removal or destruction of records, obstruction of justice and violating the Espionage Act — which can encompass crimes beyond spying, such as the refusal to return national security documents upon request. Conviction under the statutes can result in imprisonment or fines.

The documents, unsealed after the Justice Department sought their public disclosure amid relentless attacks by Trump and his GOP allies, underscore the extraordinary national security threat that federal investigators believed the missing documents presented. The concern grew so acute that Attorney General Merrick Garland approved the unprecedented search of Trump’s estate last week.

The disclosure of the documents comes four days after Trump publicly confirmed the court-authorized search of his Mar-a-Lago home by the FBI, marshaling his political allies to unleash fierce criticism of federal investigators. But the details in the warrant underscore the gravity of the probe — an unprecedented investigation of a former president for mishandling some of the nation’s most sensitive secrets.

Trump has claimed since Monday that he has cooperated with investigators from the National Archives and FBI for months and that the unannounced search was an unnecessary escalation. But after several rounds of negotiations in which materials were recovered by the Archives, federal investigators came to believe Trump hadn’t returned everything in his possession.

The search warrant, signed on Aug. 5 by federal magistrate judge Bruce Reinhart, revealed that dozens of items were seized, most of them described in vague terms like “leatherbound box of documents,” “binder of photos” and “handwritten note.”

Other items on the list indicate the presence of classified material, describing them as “miscellaneous top secret documents” and “miscellaneous confidential documents.”

Stone’s attorney Grant Smith said that the longtime Trump ally “has no knowledge as to the facts surrounding his clemency documents appearing on the inventory of items seized from former President Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago.”

Shortly after 3 p.m., the Justice Department confirmed that Trump’s lawyers would not oppose the public release of the search warrant and underlying receipt of materials, which had already begun to circulate widely.

Meridith McGraw contributed reporting.

It's going to take a little time to digest all this, but TS/SCI is a term I think we will hear a lot in the next 24 hours. As to what information he had about Macron, I'm not sure how much we will ever find out.

There was also a Talking Heads 'anonymous sources' report which indicated that sources close to Trump were reaching out to his allies, letting them know this may not be the best time to make a vociferous defense of the ex-President.

Expect a lot of camera footage showing Trump supporters hurrying into elevators.

How long do you think? There is a big election in Wyoming on Tuesday and then another on Nov 8th. So probably this will drag out through then?

[Doctor Steuss]

Steve Vladeck (one of the best constitutional lawyers in the country) on Twitter:

Steve Vladeck
@steve_vladeck
·
23m
Replying to
@steve_vladeck
1519 is about more than just holding on to documents; it’s about messing with them. And if the concern was that President Trump was simply retaining classified information, why use 793 but *not* 1924? This is all speculation, but it sure points to something beyond mere retention.

Here's a link to 793. I tried reading through it, and it might as well be written in reformed Egyptian.

And, link to 1924 for comparison.

[Binger]

Oh cool. They took miscellaneous top secret documents? Wow.

My documents are secretive.

Cool. I’ll be by later to pick them up. You won’t mind, I take it?

This not true. You are not coming by later.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Here’s the warrant and property receipt for those interested:

https://www.scribd.com/document/5867546 ... from_embed

- Doc