Tipsheet

Trump Indicted in Classified Doc Probe

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  June 08, 2023 7:05 PM

UPDATE: Trump says he's been indicted. 


***Original post edited to reflect the latest developments***

It's official now: Trump says he's been indicted. We should have been bracing for it ever since the Bragg indictment over the Stormy Daniels payments. If they can stretch the legalese as they did in that case, Trump will be screwed in all legal actions he's currently facing, which is part of the Democrats' plan. It's to keep this man and the presumptive Republican nominee, as of now, entangled in endless legal drama and render the GOP incapable of effectively campaigning across the board. You can't do that when your presidential nominee is facing multiple trials. 

Initial reports show that the former president faces several charges from this investigation. Leaks are all over the place with this indictment. Some charges include "conspiracy to obstruct and willful retention of documents" and making false statements. 

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Mr. Trump will appear in court in Miami next Tuesday. 

If the late-night Truth Social screeds weren't a tip-off, I don't know what is. Donald Trump faces more criminal charges from the investigation into his taking of classified materials. The letter to his lawyers gave the game away: he's the focus of a criminal investigation. It might as well have been the black spot because these notices seem always to be handed down to people who are about to be charged by federal prosecutors. And they just did. 

The Associated Press also reported before Trump posted on Truth Social that his camp was preparing for the worst (via Associated Press):

Former President Donald Trump and his aides are bracing for a potential indictment in the classified documents investigation as prosecutors handling the probe were spotted Thursday at a Miami courthouse where a grand jury has been hearing from witnesses. 

The former president’s lawyers have been told he is a target of the investigation, the clearest indication yet that criminal charges could be coming soon, according to two people familiar with the matter. In an effort to get ahead of a potential indictment, aides over the last two days have been reaching out to Trump allies in Congress to be prepared to go on television and offer defenses of the former president, according to another person familiar with the matter. 

The people spoke on condition anonymity to discuss matters related to the secretive grand jury process. 

Meanwhile, a grand jury in Miami heard from at least one additional witness this week — a former top aide to Trump — as signs continued mounting that prosecutors were building toward a potential indictment related to the handling of hundreds of classified documents at Trump’s Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. 

We all know Trump didn't take nuclear secrets or anything that could jeopardize the nation's security. Again, most of the items in question were souvenirs, like dinner menus and magazine covers. Some classified materials were merely empty folders. 

The FBI tried to drum up the intrigue by saying that the materials it recovered after it raided Mar-a-Lago in August of 2022 were so sensitive that only special staffers could handle them. Is that why a photograph of the materials strewn about on the floor was leaked to the press? Were they really that sensitive? It refers to something we've all known about the National Archives: it overclassifies everything. 

If we're applying the Trump standard to anyone with a security clearance, then indictments would be flying out the doors of the DOJ like crazy. 

Remember, Joe Biden left state secrets at not one but multiple locations. And unlike Mar-a-Lago, a secure site protected by the Secret Service, Biden left these materials at his DC office and his residence in Delaware. Federal officials also didn't know if there were other locations where Biden dropped off classified documents, and they're slow-walking that investigation for obvious reasons. But when that shoe dropped, the narrative about mishandling classified materials became, "Well, everyone does it." 

You can highlight all the bias and nonsense you want; it doesn't erase the fact that Donald Trump will have two trial dates next year. 

Meanwhile, Joe Biden allegedly took bribes but has the luxury of the FBI doing all it can to cover up the tracks.