Prosecutors in the classified documents case against former president Donald Trump told the court recently that they possess evidence that prove that Trump had ill-intentions when he took boxes upon boxes of classified files from the White House and transported them to his Mar-a-Lago beach and golf resort in Florida.
A recent filing from the government’s legal team, headed by Special Counsel Jack Smith reads, “That the classified materials at issue in this case were taken from the White House and retained at Mar-a-Lago is not in dispute. What is in dispute is how that occurred, why it occurred, what Trump knew, and what Trump intended in retaining them — all issues that the Government will prove at trial primarily with unclassified evidence.”
While the indictment does not accuse Trump of having any ill-intent when he took the documents, proving so would help the prosecution’s case, especially given the fact that Trump’s legal defense at the moment claims that there was merely a “misunderstanding” and that the former president claims that the documents were not classified any longer. Other Trump defenders are even claiming that the documents were just carted away by accident and just got mixed into the belongings of a “pack rat” former president when he left the White House.
Providing evidence of ill-intent in the classified documents case could also potentially impact his other cases. Trump is said to have ostensibly used at least some of the documents to go after his then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark A. Milley. Miley, whom Trump has publicly called a traitor and implied should be killed for treason, was reported to have feared that the former president would attempt to start a war with Iran just to keep his position in the White House. Prosecutors have attached to the indictment a recording of Trump showing classified documents that contain a planned attack of Iran to a reporter in an alleged attempt to do just that.
Him too! Donald Trump points the finger at Biden
Meanwhile, Trump is trying to divert attention towards President Joe Biden, who is also facing an investigation on classified documents found in his home in Delaware and personal offices in Washington, D.C. while he was still vice president.
The president recently met with Robert K. Hur, who serves as the Special Counsel appointed by the Justice Department to look into the matter. White House officials say that the meeting was completely voluntary and that the president will be fully cooperating with the investigation.
“The voluntary interview was conducted at the White House over two days,” White House spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement. “The President and the White House are cooperating with this investigation, and as it has been appropriate, we have provided relevant updates publicly, being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation,” the statement added.
The former chief executive has been quick to absolve himself of any wrongdoing while gleefully pointing the finger at Biden. “I see that Crooked Joe Biden is working on his documents situation. He moved documents, many classified, all over the place, for years, including to CHINATOWN,” Trump wrote on his own social media platform, Truth Social.
Tim Ramos has written for various publications, corporations, and organizations – covering everything from finance, politics, travel, entertainment, and sports – in Asia and the U.S. for more than 10 years.
