The FBI raid on the Donald TrumpMar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. It left its supporters behind, as well as those who criticize the former president as to why theDepartment of Justicetook such unprecedented steps.
Speculation has been fueled by the complete silence of the DOJ (for now) and the fact that Mr. refusal to publicly display
One possibility that has begun to be debated by analysts familiar with the presidential records process is that the investigation does not merely involve violations of the Federal Records Act, but actually involves suspected violations of the Federal Records Act. Possibility of focus.The Espionage Actis a World War I-era law best known for combating information theft that could compromise national security.
This law is usually thought to involve espionage against the United States (hence the name), but it also contains a clause that handles the situation at Trump's villa quite nicely. Penalties for Handling Classified Documents Relating to U.S. Defense Policy or Capabilities, and Mismanagement of Such Files.
The Act provides that anyone who "through gross negligence permits [such documents] to be removed from [their] proper storage" can be fined up to ten years or It clearly states that he may face imprisonment.
That's where the Mar-a-Lago box comes in. During Trump's own efforts to return the files earlier this year and a search of his home, more than 20 of his documents were reportedly removed from Trump's possessions. On Monday, it will address the issue of whether the U.S. military or related topics, their removal and storage at a minimally secure Palm Beach location, constitute gross negligence. Although protected, the agency's footprint is minimal when Trump is out of town.
There is some evidence lending credence to the theory that the FBI investigation may be involved in espionage law. Specifically, the involvement of top officials in charge of the Department of Justice's counterintelligence division.
The participation of Jay Blatt, head of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES) of the DOJ's National Security Team, could extend the attention of federal officials to the realm of national security threats. suggesting that it is very high. Bratt attended a field trip to Mar-a-Lago that Justice Department officials took him in June, according to his CNN report. This comes ahead of Monday's raid as the president is battling the National Archives over documents he took out of the White House for months.
At the time, Mr. Blatt was reported to have investigated where the documents were kept. This will allow investigators to determine whether those boxes were handled with reasonable care and kept safe, or whether they were lost, destroyed, or stolen during their removal from the White House.
Justice Department veteran and former Director of the National Security Agency Mary McCord said in an interview with this week's Skulduggery Podcast.
"[T]]the fact that there are national security attorneys like Jay Bratt, who are heads of counterintelligence and export It's meant to be talking about security implications, it's not just a presidential record, it's not classified," she said.
Referring to the Espionage Act, she said that the Act "does have provisions that apply to gross negligence and inherently mishandling, removing documents from their proper place, We allow it to be lost, stolen or destroyed."
It is not yet known how far the Justice Department's raid into Trump's property will extend or whether it will affect the ongoing investigation into Trump's conduct following the 2020 election. be.
The former president is still under investigation for trying to pressure Georgia officials to overturn the election. Another grand jury investigation that recently interviewed Mike Pence executives is underway in Washington. Department of Justice.
The DOJ remains unlikely to comment on details of the impending raid, and White House officials say Joe Biden has also not been briefed on details of the investigation. .
