(ReliableNews.org) – In August 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach resort. Authorities found dozens of boxes of documents full of classified documents that Trump refused to return to the National Archives (NARA). Less than a year later, the former president was indicted on 37 felony counts of violating the Espionage Act, obstructing justice, and lying to investigators. Recently, the American public found out that wasn’t the end of the story with the documents.
What Happened?
On May 21, Judge Aileen Cannon unsealed a number of documents in Trump’s classified documents case. One was an 87-page opinion written by US District Judge Beryl Howell. She wrote that the former president knew his former attorney, Evan Corcoran, lied when he said all classified materials were returned to NARA. Howell also allowed the prosecution to interview the attorney about documents he withheld citing attorney-client privilege because of potential criminal activity.
The district judge wrote that there were two more times classified documents were found at Trump’s property after the raid in August 2022. There were even four pieces of classified materials in his bedroom found months after the initial search. The judge noted there was “no excuse” given about how Trump would have missed documents “in his own bedroom.”
The opinion also revealed that, in 2021, the Save America PAC knew that contents within a box with classified documents were scanned into a personal laptop. Howell also revealed that two of Trump’s co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, allegedly conspired to hide boxes of classified documents from the federal government while Corcoran told the FBI all the materials were returned.
Reactions
Several people reacted strongly to the revelation online. Several people alleged that Trump still had documents and was selling them, while another said he was a “habitual crook.” The former president and others took issue with the FBI search warrant, which had language about using deadly force. But retired FBI Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi said that is standard for all FBI operations.
Still, Trump posted about the “deadly force” language on his social media platform, tying it to the president. In addition, Trump’s campaign sent out fundraising emails stating the former president “nearly escaped death” and “they were authorized to shoot me.” However, Trump wasn’t at Mar-a-Lago when the search took place, as the FBI notified the Secret Service ahead of time.
The classified documents trial is still in the pre-trial stage, with the case unlikely to start before the general election in November.
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