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‘Grave Damage’: Affidavit Says Trump Had Large Number of Classified National Defense Docs in ‘Unauthorized’ Location

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A federal judge has released the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 38-page redacted affidavit that was presented to obtain the search warrant federal agents used to enter Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. That so-called “raid” nearly three weeks ago was performed to retrieve large. numbers of White House records, including documents with various levels of classifications all the way up to some of the most top secret classifications.

The affidavit reveals the FBI found apparently large numbers of classified national defense information documents in an “unauthorized” location, presumably on the premises of Mar-a-Lago.

MSNBC’s Joyce Vance on-air says the affidavit reveals Trump took documents that could do “grave damage” to the U.S.

READ MORE: Biden Approval Skyrockets – Now Higher Than Trump, Obama, Clinton, Carter, or Reagan

“The FBI’s investigation has established that documents bearing classification markings, which appear to contain National Defense Information (NDI), were among the materials contained in the FIFTEEN BOXES and were stored at the PREMISES in an unauthorized location,” the redacted affidavit reads (page 2).

The affidavit also states the federal law that the FBI appears to believe Trump or someone in the former president’s orbit violated by having those national defense documents in an unauthorized location.

“Under 18 U.S.C. § 793(e), ‘[w]hoever having unauthorized possession of, access to, or control over any document … or information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation, willfully communicates, delivers, transmits or causes to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted’ or attempts to do or causes the same ‘to any person not entitled to receive it, or willfully retains the same and fails to deliver it to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it’ shall be fined or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both,” it reads, in part. (Page 4)

READ MORE: Revealed: Trump Had Hundreds of Classified Documents at Mar-a-Lago Including Set With ‘Highest Level of Classification’

That same federal law cited also refers to “grave damage,” and reads in part: “Where such unauthorized disclosure could reasonably result in exceptionally grave damage to the national security, the information may be classified as ‘Top Secret’ and must be properly safeguarded.”

The affadavit speaks to just how many classified and national defense inform action documents Trump had at Mar-a-Lago.

“From May 16-18, 2022, FBI agents conducted a preliminary review of the FIFTEEN BOXES provided to NARA and identified documents with classification markings in fourteen of the FIFTEEN BOXES.”

“A preliminary triage of the documents with classification markings revealed the following approximate numbers: 184 unique documents bearing classification markings, including 67 documents marked as CONFIDENTIAL, 92 documents marked as SECRET, and 25 documents marked as TOP SECRET. Further, the FBI agents observed markings reflecting the following compartments/dissemination controls: HCS, FISA, ORCON, NOFORN, and SI. Based on my training and experience, I know that documents classified at these levels typically contain NDI.”

READ MORE: Trump Could Face 20 Years Behind Bars for ‘Serious Felonies’ at Mar-a-Lago: Legal Analyst

Former FBI agent Josh Campbell, now a National security and law enforcement reporter at CNN, reveals: “A major point here: The FBI found documents marked ‘HCS,’ which refers to clandestine human sources who risk their lives to provide information to the US government.”

“FISA” is the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
“ORCON” refers to a U.S. intelligence code word used to mark information as “originator controlled.”
“NOFORN” means “NO FOReign National access allowed,” or, no non-US citizens are allowed to read.

It also reveals that “Several of the documents also contained what appears to be FPOTUS ‘s handwritten notes,” referring not to President Donald Trump but former President Donald Trump. That may or may not indicate that the handwritten notes date to a time after he left office.

This is a breaking news and developing story. Details may change.

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BREAKING NEWS

Jim Jordan Waging ‘Purely Political Attack’: Demands Bragg Testify Before Congress Over Expected Trump Indictment

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2 days ago

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March 20, 2023

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In an unprecedented move House Republican Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan is demanding Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg testify before Congress over his expected indictment of Donald Trump. Bragg, officially the New York County District Attorney, is an elected official whose office was created under the New York State Constitution and does not answer to Congress.

Professor of law and former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance quickly blasted Jordan’s move, saying: “what jurisdiction does Congress have over a DA elected by Manhattanites? Sure, Jordan will talk about fed’l funding, but this is a purely political attack on local gov’t.”

Earlier Monday, reacting to Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s remarks, Vance said: “It’s not up to House Republicans to review Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s conduct. It’s up to Manhattan voters. If Trump is indicted, a jury will decide whether there’s sufficient evidence to convict. The GOP continues to undercut our democratic institutions to serve Trump.”

Jordan’s letter, he writes to Bragg: “In light of the serious consequences of your actions, we expect that you will testify about what plainly appears to be a politically motivated prosecutorial decision,” according to a Fox Corp. article. The website also says it was signed by two other Republicans: House Oversight Committee Chair Jim Comer and House Committee on Administration Chair Brian Steil. None have any oversight authority on the Office of the Manhattan District Attorney.

READ MORE: Trump Files Sweeping Legal Motion to Try to Block Georgia Grand Jury Findings and District Attorney Fani Willis

“Jordan warned Bragg that if news reports of a possible Trump indictment are accurate, Bragg’s actions ‘will erode confidence in the evenhanded application of justice and unalterably interfere in the court of the 2024 presidential election,'” Fox adds.

“The legal theory underlying your reported prosecution appears to be tenuous and untested,” Jordan wrote. He also attacked former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who has testified extensively in the case before the grand jury.

Just before leaving office Trump awarded Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

According to former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson who testified publicly and privately before the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, Jordan discussed pardons with the White House for Republican Members of Congress, although she says he did not ask for one himself. Jordan also defied a subpoena from the January 6 Select Committee.

In a Monday morning interview with Fox Corp.’s Harris Faulkner, Jordan falsely describes Trump’s hush money payment to adult film actress and director Stormy Daniels as “some alleged bookkeeping error.” The expected charges have neither been voted on by the grand jury nor announced.

“Charges in NY are expected to involve false business records created to conceal Trump’s payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels but there are possible charges involving manipulating property values for tax, loan & insurance advantages,” Vance also  said Monday.

READ MORE: ‘RICO’: Trump Could Be Facing Racketeering and Conspiracy Charges Used to Prosecute Organized Crime

Watch video of Jordan discussing the letter and see the letter itself below or at this link:

 

 

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BREAKING NEWS

Trump Files Sweeping Legal Motion to Try to Block Georgia Grand Jury Findings and District Attorney Fani Willis

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2 days ago

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March 20, 2023

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Attorneys for Donald Trump Monday morning filed a sweeping 483-page legal motion asking a Georgia court to block any report from the Fulton County special grand jury and any evidence the grand jury may find, and to force District Attorney Fani Willis to recuse in the investigation into his unlawful attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in that state.

The Daily Beast’s Jose Pagliery first reported the filing. The Atlanta Journal Constitution also reports Trump’s attorneys have filed the motion.

Lawfare Blog’s Anna Bower, who has been covering the Fulton County case, calls the filing “mammoth.”

The news comes just hours after reports District Attorney Willis could be considering RICO, or conspiracy and racketeering charges against Trump.

READ MORE: ‘This Man Is a Criminal’: George Conway Busts GOP’s ‘Completely Ridiculous’ Trump Defense

This is a breaking news and developing story. 

Image via Shutterstock

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BREAKING NEWS

Local, State, Federal Law Enforcement Preparing for Possible Trump Indictment ‘As Early as Next Week’: Report

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5 days ago

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March 17, 2023

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Local, state, and federal law enforcement and security agencies are preparing for a possible indictment of Donald Trump, as early as next week, including “conducting preliminary security assessments” according to an exclusive report from NBC News.

Officials “are discussing potential security plans in and around the Manhattan Criminal Court, at 100 Centre Street, in case Trump is charged in connection with an alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels and travels to New York to face any charges.”

The grand jury is expected to meet on Monday, and could potentially vote on whether or not to indict Trump that day. It will be up to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to decide if Trump will be charged, and what those charges would be.

The NBC News report appears to focus on New York City, stating the NYPD, New York State Court Officers, U.S. Secret Service, FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office are among those preparing for the possibility of an indictment, which would be the first in this nation’s history of a former President.

On Wednesday, professor of law and former U.S. Attorney Barb McQuade told MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, “I think an indictment probably is feeling like next week might be the time.”

 

This is a breaking news and developing story.

Image via Shutterstock

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