NARA did not know exactly what Trump had but were looking for specific documents that would be useful to further other efforts to embarrass and potentially indict Trump.
They hoped the Kim love letters would show some sort of nefarious collusion with Rocket Man to destroy the evil empire of the DemLibs.
They wanted the Hurricane Dorian map to embarrass Trump again and to potentially charge him with altering an official National Weather Service map. Regardless of whether they could charge him (NWS is under the Executive and its an easy argument that Trump had authority to alter) but they would say "we would charge him if we could".
I think the scuttle that Obama included what he knew would be considered secret information and/or national defense information in his "turnover letter" to Trump. When this was not found, it likely became a good excuse to demand information from Trump starting the whole change from NARA conflict to DOJ persecution of FPOTUS.
As was stated over and over and over again in the original FBI Raided Mar-a-Lago thread, as evidenced in the search warrant, and as further evidenced in the indictment, the CLASSIFICATION status of documents is ENTIRELY IRRLELEVANT to their case at least according to the two primary laws at play the PRA and the Espionage Act.
There was discussion the previous evening and a great analysis by Hawg regarding "agency" v Presidential records and Personal presidential records. Those points are valid and follow not only the law but common sense. Yes, the PDB that POTUS receives daily will contain "national defense information" every time and likely always considered classified. These would also be the sorts of documents that if Trump took notes on them, they arguably become part of his "journal or diary" and this personal. Regardless of ultimate deposition, the courts have previously held that the FPOTUS has wide latitude in making such determination.
Under the PRA the FPOTUS is to have documents made available to them after their term in office. Biden, the GSA and NARA all seem to agree when they shipped the boxes to his personal residence in Florida.
So to Manhattan, its not about classification of documents other than a flimsy and not particularly creative path of reasoning from WH counsel and DOJ determining that classified markings means official "agency" document meaning its not personal and that if its official record with classified markings there is an assumption it may contain the poor defined term "national defense information" and that means the Espionage Act comes into play and that anyone from the government, be it NARA, DOJ, FBI, IRS, EPA or whatever can demand the documents back and refusing to provide is a violation of either 1(d) or 1(e) of the Espionage Act.
Many discussing this topic online and on the air exhibit very poor understanding of the law, the US Constitution, the classification / declassification of documents, the Presidential Records Act, history, etc.
I present the above after spending considerable time looking through the language of the applicable law, the US Constitution, information others have presented here, good and bad, and following the news and experts of all varieties.
BTW, I have grown used to the insults that I am being dishonest, that I am ignorant of the law, that I am nothing but a suckler on Teat Trump, and my favorite that I am somehow the reincarnation of MF Barnes. You can keep the attacks up cause the only thing that happens is a vacay day for me if I respond. All you do is derail with that nonsense, but if it makes you feel better, go for it.
TLDR; the entire thing is a fabrication by NARA, WH counsel and the DOJ to embarrass the FPOTUS and interfere in the 2022 and 2024 elections.
They hoped the Kim love letters would show some sort of nefarious collusion with Rocket Man to destroy the evil empire of the DemLibs.
They wanted the Hurricane Dorian map to embarrass Trump again and to potentially charge him with altering an official National Weather Service map. Regardless of whether they could charge him (NWS is under the Executive and its an easy argument that Trump had authority to alter) but they would say "we would charge him if we could".
I think the scuttle that Obama included what he knew would be considered secret information and/or national defense information in his "turnover letter" to Trump. When this was not found, it likely became a good excuse to demand information from Trump starting the whole change from NARA conflict to DOJ persecution of FPOTUS.
As was stated over and over and over again in the original FBI Raided Mar-a-Lago thread, as evidenced in the search warrant, and as further evidenced in the indictment, the CLASSIFICATION status of documents is ENTIRELY IRRLELEVANT to their case at least according to the two primary laws at play the PRA and the Espionage Act.
There was discussion the previous evening and a great analysis by Hawg regarding "agency" v Presidential records and Personal presidential records. Those points are valid and follow not only the law but common sense. Yes, the PDB that POTUS receives daily will contain "national defense information" every time and likely always considered classified. These would also be the sorts of documents that if Trump took notes on them, they arguably become part of his "journal or diary" and this personal. Regardless of ultimate deposition, the courts have previously held that the FPOTUS has wide latitude in making such determination.
Under the PRA the FPOTUS is to have documents made available to them after their term in office. Biden, the GSA and NARA all seem to agree when they shipped the boxes to his personal residence in Florida.
So to Manhattan, its not about classification of documents other than a flimsy and not particularly creative path of reasoning from WH counsel and DOJ determining that classified markings means official "agency" document meaning its not personal and that if its official record with classified markings there is an assumption it may contain the poor defined term "national defense information" and that means the Espionage Act comes into play and that anyone from the government, be it NARA, DOJ, FBI, IRS, EPA or whatever can demand the documents back and refusing to provide is a violation of either 1(d) or 1(e) of the Espionage Act.
Many discussing this topic online and on the air exhibit very poor understanding of the law, the US Constitution, the classification / declassification of documents, the Presidential Records Act, history, etc.
I present the above after spending considerable time looking through the language of the applicable law, the US Constitution, information others have presented here, good and bad, and following the news and experts of all varieties.
BTW, I have grown used to the insults that I am being dishonest, that I am ignorant of the law, that I am nothing but a suckler on Teat Trump, and my favorite that I am somehow the reincarnation of MF Barnes. You can keep the attacks up cause the only thing that happens is a vacay day for me if I respond. All you do is derail with that nonsense, but if it makes you feel better, go for it.
TLDR; the entire thing is a fabrication by NARA, WH counsel and the DOJ to embarrass the FPOTUS and interfere in the 2022 and 2024 elections.
