Crime For Fun And Profit

Oh my GOD this is SHOCKING, just historically APPALLING, I can’t BELIEVE it, that carpet is HIDEOUS https://t.co/4MjjEAo75I

— WhyIsHatSoMean? (@Popehat) August 31, 2022

The image is actually quite telling. The secret/top secret documents found in Trump's office have a "TK" classification which stands for TALENT KEYHOLE aka secret intelligence from spy satellites and planes. pic.twitter.com/zgkaNbIHCH

— Scott Stedman (@ScottMStedman) August 31, 2022

That Trump is sticking with his “declassification” defense is mind-boggling in light of below…why on earth would he *secretly* declassify HUMINT, compartmentalized intel, and spy satellite product? It frankly suggests that he had nefarious intent👇🏽 https://t.co/id1gskUzX3

— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) August 31, 2022

And while we're on the subject of intent:

"evidence indicating boxes formerly in the Storage Room were not returned prior to counsel's review"

I read this to mean that items were purposely removed from the storage room *in advance of* FBI/DOJ coming to retrieve documents pursuant to the subpoena pic.twitter.com/mO1RXzkYUO

— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) August 31, 2022

Yes the "2A" label and placing the docs in a position where they can be visually ID'd is part of evidence collection and documentation -- they did it by the book

Docs still had markings and Trump never challenged fact that government was treating these as classified

So dumb https://t.co/WvJnDpSvwO

— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) August 31, 2022

This morning, get your Mar-a-Lago search news from your preferred source.

Then watch each of these four short videos (there are many more – this is a small sample).

Trump knew mishandling classified was illegal and would land you in jail. He said so specifically and repeatedly. https://t.co/90zjGqC6Of

— Peter Strzok (@petestrzok) August 31, 2022

And it wasn't me saying the documents mixed with personal items indicating intent to keep them illegally; that was the DOJ:

5/ For example, DOJ notes that some of Trump's personal items were commingled with classified material, and that those items were seized because they are evidence of criminal activity.

They are evidence of **Trump's** willful possession of the classified material.

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) August 31, 2022

And I started this earlier, but I'll drop it here:

Between the redacted affidavit and the new DOJ memo, it’s pretty remarkable how much damning information is now in the public domain *because* of President Trump’s legal efforts to try to advance his claim that the search was unjustified.

His lawyers have not served him well… pic.twitter.com/evDN87gHn3

— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) August 31, 2022

A lawyer is not obligated to do whatever-the-hell the client wants. A lawyer is also a counselor-at-law, which means you advise your client not to do stupid things. So either Trump’s lawyers are spineless jellyfish, or they’re participants in his crimes.  There's really no excuse for exposing Trump this way, except maybe the excuse that they've cleverly gotten DOJ to reveal their strategy against Trump.  But the defense is, what:  he "Declassified" the documents, a double super-secret declassification he only revealed when he was caught with more top secret (and above) documents?  A secret in-his-mind-only declassification which doesn't work that way?  And how about the commingling, indicating clear intent to hold the documents against several requests, one a subpoena ("subpoena" literally means "under pain," i.e., backed by punishment for non-compliance), to hide them even by putting them in his desk drawers and in boxes with personal mementoes (like framed TIME Magazine covers).  My guess is the lawyers for Trump are just learning about this evidence, too.

One wonders if Mr. Kise wants to reconsider appearing as counsel to the FPOTUS. I would be, just based on Trump's posts this morning:

1. The only reason this picture is now public is because of Trump’s (belated) request for a special master and Judge Cannon’s ridiculous response.

2. Declassified or not, he’s leaning into the 1519 violation by not disputing that he had these documents and didn’t turn them over. pic.twitter.com/zen6zTHte9

— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) August 31, 2022

 I don't know if Kise has signed any of the documents filed on Trump's behalf in this case (that would mark an "appearance"), but maybe he doesn't want to if he doesn't have to.  Trump's got to be the criminal defendant from hell by now.

Trump is now sticking to the “I declassified everything” defense. Not the smartest move: making another false statement that is also legally irrelevant is not a way to endear yourself to a jury. https://t.co/0CzSd7UNDj

— Andrew Weissmann 🌻 (@AWeissmann_) August 31, 2022

I mean, the DOJ just hit Trump between the eyes with a 10 pound sledge hammer, and Trump didn't even blink.

As I've said before, Trump doesn't have any "teflon."  He's never faced a criminal investigation, now he's facing four at once.  Everybody thought New York was capital; then Georgia.  I think the DOJ just trumped everybody.  And while this brief doesn't affect the status of their criminal case against Trump (nothing is revealed they don't want revealed), it's a torpedo right into the engine room of Trump's political ambitions.

Additional info that Trump’s people concealed from gov’t the continued presence of classified docs,and other evidence of obstruction, are the type of “aggravating factors” in a retention case that usually lead to criminal prosecution. https://t.co/uicuJEsIRW

— David Laufman (@DavidLaufmanLaw) August 31, 2022

Yeah, that hole is definitely below the water-line.