From 1h ago
17.49
Affidavit
details probable cause
The
affidavit as released is of course full of redactions, across its 38 pages. But
it reveals some interesting nuggets about the search, including that the
Department of Justice and FBI had “probable cause to believe that evidence of
obstruction” would be found at Mar-a-Lago.
In another
interesting section … the affidavit says that on 9 February 2022, the DoJ
leaned that a preliminary review of 15 boxes taken to Mar-a-Lago “indicated
that they contained ‘newspapers, magazines, printed news articles, photos,
miscellaneous print-outs, notes, presidential correspondence, personal and
post-presidential records, and ‘a lot of classified records’.
“Of most
significant concern was that highly classified records were unfoldered,
intermixed with other records, and otherwise unproperly [sic] identified.”
The
affidavit reproduces a Trump statement after the issue became public, and then
… is extensively redacted. The redacted passage is a chronological retelling of
how the issue developed.
The next
significant un-redacted passage contains the news that Trump’s own notes were
included in the materials in question. It reads as follows:
“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. Several of the documents also contained what appears to
be FPOTUS’s [Trump’s] handwritten notes.
Updated at
18.16 BST
19m ago
18.44
Trump
statement released
We have
Donald Trump’s reaction, on Truth Social, the social media platform he set up
after being kicked off Twitter over the Capitol attack…
Affidavit
heavily redacted!!! Nothing mentioned on “Nuclear,” a total public relations
subterfuge by the FBI & DOJ, or our close working relationship regarding
document turnover - WE GAVE THEM MUCH. Judge Bruce Reinhart should NEVER have
allowed the Break-In of my home. He recused himself two months ago from one of
my cases based on his animosity and hatred of your favorite President, me. What
changed? Why hasn’t he recused himself on this case? Obama must be very proud
of him right now!
To unpick:
“Nuclear” –
it has been reported that some of the materials kept at Mar-a-Lago concerned
nuclear weapons. And some concerned Emmanuel Macron, which, by the by, might
interest Liz Truss. But anyway…
“Break-in”
– nope. Warrant duly served, etc, which is why we’re here.
“Obama must
be very proud” of the judge … we may all remember John Roberts, the chief
justice of the supreme court, rebuking Trump for referring to “Obama judges”,
etc. We may also all remember Trump’s pride at having installed a huge number
of judges himself, including three on Roberts’ court. In short – judges are not
meant to act politically but they are politically appointed. And so on.
Of Judge
Reinhart: he made a donation to Barack Obama in 2008. He also donated to
Republicans, if not Donald J Trump.
Updated at
18.51 BST
39m ago
18.24
Attached to
the affidavit is a letter from lawyers for Donald Trump, complaining of unfair
treatment and asserting a president’s “absolute authority to declassify
documents” – both features of his response to the search and the claims of his
supporters in Republican ranks and on the right of the US media.
The letter,
signed by M Evan Corcoran of Silverman Thompson Slutkin White, begins:
Public
trust in the government is low. At such times, adherence to the rules and
long-standing policies is essential. President Donald J Trump is a leader of
the Republican Party. The Department of Justice (DOJ), as part of the Executive
Branch, is under the control of a President from the opposite party. It is
critical, given that dynamic, that every effort is made to ensure that actions
by DOJ that may touch upon the former President, or his close associates, do
not involve politics.”
I refer you
back to President Joe Biden’s comment to reporters before the affidavit was
filed today, when asked if he thought national security might have been
compromised at Mar-a-Lago while Trump was storing classified documents there:
We’ll let
the justice department determine that.”
The
lawyers’ letter conforms to Trump’s worldview, that attorneys general and the
Department of Justice exist to serve presidents politically. Biden’s answer
speaks for generally accepted wisdom, which is that the DoJ does not exist for
that purpose and is in fact independent of any White House or administration.
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1h ago
18.04
The
affidavit contain reference to and quotes from a back-and-forth between the DoJ
and counsel for Donald Trump (referred to as FPOTUS, or Former President of the
United States) over storage of materials at Mar-a-Lago.
After a lot
of redactions, the agent writes: “Based upon this investigation, I believe that
the STORAGE ROOM, FPOTUS’s residential suite, Pine Hall, the ‘45 Office’ and
other spaces within the PREMISES are not currently authorized locations for the
storage of classified information or [national defense information, or NDI].
“Similarly,
based upon this investigation, I do not believe that any spaces within the
PREMISES have been authorized for the storage of classified information at
least since the end of FPOTUS’s Presidential Administration on January 20,
2021.”
After more
redactions, the affidavit concludes:
Based on
the foregoing facts and circumstances, I submit that probable cause exists to
believe that evidence, contraband, fruits of crime, or other items illegally
possessed … will be found at the PREMISES.
“Further, I
submit that this affidavit supports probable cause for a warrant to search the
PREMISES described in Attachment A and seize the items described in Attachment
B.”
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