He did everything right, he hid nothing, rather he is the victim of an evil conspiracy to prevent him from moving back to the White House. That’s pretty much Donald Trump’s defense strategy. He has always used it against all kinds of accusations, and two years after the end of his tenure, there are still many. Trump is the first US president to be indicted and further investigations are underway. One of them is particularly sensitive from a legal point of view: the case of numerous classified documents stolen from the White House and later resurfaced in Trump’s private rooms in Florida.
For the past six months, Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith has been trying to determine whether Trump deliberately obstructed efforts by relevant authorities to recover these documents. Apparently, the former president himself has provided the best proof of this. According to reports from CNN and the New York Times, detectives stumbled upon a 2021 audio recording that a Trump aide routinely recorded.
Both media outlets were unable to listen to the recording itself, but have confirmed from multiple sources that Trump should be questioned about his possession of a relevant document, which at the time should have been in the National Archives long ago. must. Trump apparently had the newspaper with him during the conversation. And the comments he allegedly made about it suggest that he must have known he was not allowed to have the document, let alone share its contents with others.
He also reportedly talks about the level of security the document is subject to, which is why he is not allowed to show it to those present. This negates Trump’s claim that he has “declassified” all documents. Secrecy – hey presto – lifted, so no crime: that was a shaky strategy even before this recording became known. According to experts, there is no such power for presidents. The recording would be proof that Trump must have known that too.
Not only disability, also espionage
This development is especially interesting because it could be a crucial building block for an impeachment against Trump. After all, they would have to prove that Trump knew what he was doing. Not only in relation to obstruction of justice. According to Ryan Goodman, a law professor at New York University and a former special prosecutor himself, the audio forms the crucial basis for another and much more serious crime.
“This is not just a case of ‘disability’, but a case for the espionage law.” writes Goodman on Twitter. There is now every reason to believe that the former president will be charged under the 1917 espionage law of the same name. It also mentions the “deliberate withholding” of information related to the defense of the country. The law fits Trump’s behavior “like a glove,” Goodman said.
The newspaper, which is the subject of the audio recording, is said to be about plans to attack Iran – which is extremely sensitive content. Who knows if Trump was alone in the taped conversation that took place as part of a book project and only two other people were present? And did he really fail to tell them what was in the document?
According to Trump’s statements in the audio recording, the paper was said to have been written by Mark Milley, the US chief of staff at the time. He and Trump were at odds during the final months of his term – because Trump was desperate to attack Iran when Milley allegedly tried to stop him. In mid-July 2021, just days before the interview for the book project, The New Yorker published an article about this dispute detailing Milley’s perspective.
Trump was so angry about the text that it prompted him to bring the document to the book review, CNN reports. He wanted to show that Milley agreed with him on Iran – contrary to what the New Yorker reported. You can’t hear Trump quoting, but on the recording you can hear the rustle of paper, which could indicate he was passing the document across the room.
In that case, he would have been guilty not only of withholding, but also of distributing a document sensitive to national security, supporting Goodman’s contention. The spy who loved himself: Trump brought himself a lot closer to jail with this recording. According to experts, such an offense carries a prison sentence of up to ten years. And that’s only because of his thin skin relative to critical media coverage.
Trump remains popular
But how likely is it that the consequences will soon follow? Special Counsel Smith would be nearing the end of his investigation. It is possible that not only the sound recording played a role, but also the questioning of Trump’s lawyers and associates. But whether or when Trump will be charged over the documents is questionable, and the ensuing trial would certainly take several months.
The same goes for the case in Georgia, where District Attorney Fani Willis is investigating Trump’s attempt to manipulate the results of the 2020 presidential election. An indictment is expected in August. Things have progressed further in New York: Trump has to answer for 34 cases of forgery of business documents, the trial will start at the end of March next year, six months before the elections.
In theory, Trump could even be elected to jail. His chances don’t seem as bad as one might think – at least that the Republicans will make him their nominee despite everything. Trump recently managed to increase his lead in the polls. Neither his conviction for $5 million in damages for sexually assaulting author E. Jean Carroll seems to change his popularity, nor does growing competition within the Republican Party, most recently from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
This article was first published on Zeit Online. Watson may have changed the headings and subheadings. Here’s the original.
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
