BREAKING: Trump just said on his social platform that his attorneys have been informed that he's been indicted in the classified documents investigation.
"Donald Trump has been indicted on at least 7 federal charges including illegal retention of classified documents, obstruction, conspiracy." - Dan Abrams
This is the first time in American history a former president has faced federal charges.
For those of us keeping score:
*Trump indicted on 34 felony counts, New York State
*Trump found liable for sexual assault
*Trump indicted on 7 federal charges (possibly one of the charges under the Espionage Act!) in the classified documents case.
UPDATE:
Posting on Twitter, Speaker McCarthy accused President Biden of "indicting Trump."
The Speaker of the House has no idea of how our American justice system works. To characterize his statement as staggeringly moronic would be an understatement. His stupidity and ignorance is alarming and again shows the country what a weak and feckless man and Speaker he is.
A grand jury, seeing and hearing a preponderance of evidence, indicted Trump. Period.
Trump and Trump alone is responsible for what happened to him today.
Speaker McCarthy is a damn fool.
Here's where Trump kept America's top secret docs:
25 comments:
IN FEDERAL COURT.
All at once, it's both a good day and a sad day for America.
Sort of like when Pres Nixon resigned.
😀
Trump "never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States."
The sentiment is mutual.
America and the world never thought that such an outright crook could become US president.
The US Congress and political system generally are badly broken, and need urgent remedying, but at least rule of law still functions.
Trump has been indicted by two separate grand juries, and there's a good chance that he'll face additional charges from Fani Willis and Jack Smith.
There aren't any witch hunts here. We're simply seeing the wheels of justice turn.
Finally!
To continue my WW II anti-fascism metaphor, June 13th will be Indictment Day, D-Day for Democracy. This will inevitably and irrevocably lead to the Orange Fuhrer's personal Nuremburg trial, and he will be found guilty. He will continue pushing his hate and lies to divide our country and his cult may react violently, but they will not prevail.
He will be banned from any office of the United States with this one conviction.
18 U.S. Code § 2071 - Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally
(a)
Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
(b)
Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States.
This is the one that matters most. Other convictions will be icing on the cake.
Mary Trump wrote:
There is nothing he won’t do to get away with his crimes. He will turn his followers against the rest of us, he will threaten to destroy the Republican Party if it doesn’t do his bidding (and it will do his bidding). If none of that works, he will burn it all down.
It will get worse before it gets better. It will be frightening, it will be frustrating, and it will be dangerous. But it will get better eventually. If we stick together and refuse to give up hope, it will get better.
Facts:
1. A Florida Grand Jury indicted Trump - not Biden.
2. "If they can do this to him they can do this to you" is technically correct. However, The best way to say it is "No one is above the law."
3. "If they can jail an opponent we don't have a republic" is simply asinine. Trump is NOT in jail. He will show up for an arraignment and likely be released.
4. He is afforded all the rights everyone is afforded and a trial will take place according to the rule of law - unless he takes a plea deal.
5. Grand juries indict - not prosecutors.
6. Donald Trump says he is innocent - and he is - UNTIL proven guilty.
7. This is the justice department working as it should. If he is found NOT guilty then he will have had his day in court as has the government.
8. EVERY single member of the GOP now ranting about how unfair this is continues to put our country in peril, fomenting anger when most of them cannot stand Donald Trump. They do it because they fear his supporters and want them to get re-elected.
9. EVERY single member of the GOP (with the exception of maybe MTG and George Santos) know they are lying but continue to do so.
10. It ain't over yet . . .
I think McCarthy knows how it works, but he knows the people he's posturing for don't and will believe anything the party puts out there.
R.D. makes good points, but Trump is not innocent. He is lying, or delusional, by claiming to be innocent.
Presumption of innocence is a legal status under law, until proven guilty or a plea is accepted.
A killer found not guilty is not innocent. He was only found not legally guilty in court due to mistrial, biased jury, or insufficient evidence that is not beyond reasonable doubt.
It does not establish innocence. Innocent people can be falsely convicted.
George Zimmerman's acquittal doesn't mean he was innocent of killing Trayvon Martin. We know he killed him.
And we know Trump is guilty, just not convicted yet.
RD, et al, including Skud...
Before Trump took office, one of the laws that he is now accused of breaking was a misdemeanor. It had to do with the mishandling of sensitive, classified and top secret documents.
Trump, believing that Hillary Clinton was guilty of mishandling documents during her time as Sec of State, signed legislation moving the penalty to a felony. The only problem was that Trump's own DOJ, headed up by Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr, found no evidence that HRC intended to mishandle documents. GOP committees in both the Senate and the House found no evidence of a crime.
So Trump's change of the law sat idle... until now.
Now the law that Trump signed with the intention of charging and putting HRC in jail, thereby fulfilling his campaign promise to use the power of the federal government to investigate, and charge a political opponent, is what he fears.
If convicted, Trump will be a felon. All because of legislation he himself signed into law. And all because when requested, he chose not to return government property.
It's not Hillary's fault. It's not Biden's fault. It's not Obama's fault. It's not Kamala's fault.
It's Donald J. Trump's fault.
Shaw... as it relates to Lt Col Robert Birchum, the case Skud frequently cites, calling for equal treatment under the law.
Here's info from columnist Michael Daly...
"Back in January 2017, investigators with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), acting on a tip, searched Lt. Col. Birchum’s home in Tampa, Florida, just as FBI agents later searched Trump’s residence in Palm Beach. The object of both searches was the same: to find unlawfully retained classified documents".
"On Thursday evening came the news that Trump has been indicted for his handling of classified documents and obstructing the ensuing investigation. Should he be convicted, he will appear for sentencing as someone who has been all about self over service. And, former president or not, it would be hard to argue that he should get anything less than the combat veteran who will soon become Inmate 45400-510..." nee Robert Birchum."
Finally folks, let's remember that former President Trump admitted on the Hannity Show a few weeks back that he has a right to take the records, he did take the records and has done nothing wrong.
Let's all remember the old saw... Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
How about one more, because I know you all need stuff to send to the crazies who believe Trump has done nothing wrong. This from David Rothkopf in the Daily Beast...
"Based on evidence that has already been made public we know that Trump did not mistakenly shift a classified document or two from the White House to Mar-a-Lago. He was briefed repeatedly on the proper handling of classified materials. He has even acknowledged, on tape, that he understood how such sensitive, easily weaponizable documents should be treated."
"But he ignored the law. He ignored the advice he was repeatedly given. And, based on reporting to date, he stole scores of items that were not his, to which he had no right, which could put the lives of Americans and our national interests and those of our allies at risk."
"When news of his theft was discovered and the U.S. Department of Justice sought the return of those documents, Trump did not cooperate. He lied about them. He concealed documents from the government. He obstructed justice. In fact, if recent reporting is true, he did not just obstruct justice, he went to great lengths to do so. Indeed, the lengths he went to force us to ask another question that is relevant in this case: “Why?”
Read the entire article here...
BTW, it looks like Justice Eileen Cannon, the Trump appointed judge of Special Master, SCOTUS intervening fame, has been named to try the case.
Hold on to your seats as we see if the DOJ can make the case.
Dave M., Dave Dubya, bluzdude, Mike, R.D., Ray
In a particularly stinging portion of the indictment, Trump’s own words about the importance of protecting classified documents are recited. He said, for example, that “we can’t have someone in the Oval Office who doesn’t understand the meaning of the word confidential or classified.” He also said, “In my administration, I’m going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information. No one will be above the law.”
Also, did you see this?:
"This morning we tendered our resignations as counsel to President Trump, and we will no longer represent him on either the indicted case or the January 6 investigation.." --Trump attorneys Trusty and Rowley.
And this:
CNN: "Trump audio recording of Bedminster meeting suggests he showed national defense information: 'I just found, isn't that amazing? This totally wins my case, you know. Except it is like, highly confidential. Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this.'"
Dear Gawd! What an utterly despicable person -- his ego drives his behaviors in EVERYTHING! Even to the point of putting this country in danger just so he can show off to his pals secret information.
I remember the night he became POTUS. I cried. I was sure that a man of his terrible character and ignorance would do this country irreprable harm.
And those tears were justified.
Rick Wilson's famous words: ETTD! "Everything Trump Touches Dies."
We can’t sugarcoat the gravity of the damage he has done to the United States and our Allies. Makes you think that Trumps allies might be the US’s top enemies. I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump actually committed treason.
Denver Lee Riggleman III is an American businessman and former politician from Virginia who served one term as the United States representative for Virginia's 5th congressional district. A former Air Force officer and National Security Agency contractor, Riggleman opened a craft distillery in Virginia in 2014.
Denver Riggleman
@RepRiggleman
For someone who has taken a oath to this country as an enlisted troop, commissioned intel officer and Congressman— and held the highest clearance levels—reading the Trump indictment is akin to setting my American soul on fire. #TrumpIndictment
Any elected official who defends Trump is unserious and worthy of contempt.
Re Riggleman... Trump, as per the rules in our Constitution, the ones he argued should be terminated, is entitled to the best defense against these charges he can get.
And I hope the lawyers get their fees upfront, cause Trump is famous for not paying.
But let me amend the former Congressman and soldier's statement a bit...
Any American who defends Trump is unserious and worthy of contempt.
There... is that better?
Nor would i be surprized if Trump committed actual treason Anonymous.
A man not to be believed, trusted at any level, and a man to avoid at all costs. America knew what he was in 2015-2016 and yet we elected him anyway and 30 percent would elect him again.
This nation isn't out of the trump woods yet. And may not be in our lifetime.
Dave, Les
"Any American who defends Trump is unserious and worthy of contempt.
There... is that better?"
Yes. And it's righteous!
Les, the fact that he has McCarthy and other officials of the US government defending the indefensible is shameful. Their names will live in infamy.
To quote a hated "RINO" Republican being honest, “To my Republican colleagues I say there will come a day when Donald Trump is gone but your dishonor will remain".
Based on the evidence provided in the indictments, every single GOP politician who defends Donald J. Trump shows their real disregard for the security of the United States, and I don’t care one whit if they served honorably in our armed services, or not.
I am a veteran, who had a very high security clearance, and his actions disgust me. The indictments show clearly, and with substantial evidence, that he put the security of the United States at risk for his own personal gratification. His actions, as stated in the indictments, were far worse than Sen. Clinton’s in having her own email server. She, and her people tried to secure that server, and admitted her fault publicly. And Hunter Biden’s laptop? Give me a break.
When historians research the “weaponization” of the Justice Department by our current and former president, it will be clear which of the two actually did that, as opposed to taking a hands off approach.
I sincerely hope that when the case is tried and the results are in with what appears to be in accord with the evidence provided, every single Republican who backed Trump on this admits their error and does the honorable thing and resigns.
But, that appears as likely as an entire army of pigs flying in formation over the White House.
With all the uproar over trump and his misdeeds and joey b and his demonstrated incompetence the election will be decided by thinking independents. Yellow dog democrats will vote for joey b regardless of his inability to lead the country and trumpers will vote for him even if he is in prison. That leaves thinking independents to determine that direction of the country.
Hopefully neither trump or joey b are their parties nomination and we can elect someone with a modicum of competence. Desantis, Scott, Kennedy and Williamson would be a better choice than joey b and djt.
skud: "With all the uproar over trump and his misdeeds..."
"misdeeds." A former POTUS and guy who wants to get back in the WH has been indicted on 37 FELONY COUNTS, in New York, Trump's been indicted on 34 FELONY COUNTS, and Trump also was found LIABLE in a sexual assault case. And skud characterizes all of that (and there's more coming) as "misdeeds."
I wonder, skud, did you characterize what Hillary did with her emails as "misdeeds?" What Hunter Biden is accused of? Bill Clinton?
You "misdeeds" statement is a perfect example of why our country is in deep distress and division.
Really skud? Really?
PS Joe Biden is NOT incompetent. He managed to propose and GET PASSED in two years monumental legislation. He's respected by our allies (unlike the buffoon Trump was) and even though he has his moments of gaffes and tripping, falling, etc.
For all Biden's faults and mistakes, there's one MAJOR, MORAL thing he is NOT: An indicted felon and a disgrace to America.
I didn't read the rest of your comment because when you start out with IMO silly statements, it isn't worthy my time to finish reading the rest.
Peace.
Bingo Dave! Truth in neon lights as it were.
Skud... the fact that you offered up not one real Dem to go with your insurrection supporting, electing denying Republicans is noted.
You're about as independent as a member of the Communist Party of China.
At least I can boast truthfully to having voted GOP in elections since 2020.
Can you say the same for voting Dem?
Ms. Shaw, So giving away billions to push an agenda that hurts the middle class and poor is great leadership. As to your respected by the rest of the world I have no way of knowing. Being liked by other world leaders shows they do not respect him because they can do what they want, russia, china, iran, afganastan come to mind.
Rev, Congratulations on voting out of your party because maybe you are not a yellow dog as you think. As an independent I choose to vote for the best candidate. I will admit most of the time it is republican but have voted democrat but prefer independents. So kennedy and williamson are not real candidates? Maybe Cornel West is our future.
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