Phytoplankton
Well-Known Member
Personally, and with background in classified documents and laws, the Mar Lago documents are best case against Trump. His own words will hang him. There's a big difference between Trump's actions in knowingly concealing and failing to return classified documents, and those of Biden and Pence who INADVERTENTLY or unknowingly mishandled documents (and probably didn't pack the boxes they were in) and then immediately cooperated in returning them. Additonally, there are very specific rules for even having classified documents out of a security area or vault (and trust me, Mar Lago is not a security area). I had handcarry authority, and I was a derivative classifier. I could classify a document using existing classification guides. I could carry classifed docs from one facility to another, the documents had to be double wrapped, with all envelope seams taped with tamper proof tape, the inner envelope had the level and category of the documents on the envelope, the outer envelope was similarly taped, but bore no classification markings, just a mailing address. If I had to stay overnight in a hotel, the documents had to be brought to the FBI or a secure facility with authority to hold classified, where they were stored overnight, and I would pick them up in ther morning. I could not keep them in my possession overnight!. As far as the President being able to declassify by "thinking about it", that's a crock, there is very specific way to declassifiy documents, and there's an extensive paper trail. Declassification also requires the originating agency to concur with declassification. I've been out of that game for a while, but when I left, NSI (National Security Information) at any level (Confidential Secret or Top Secret was classified for a minimum of 10 years, and up to 50 years, when it was reviewed to determine if it could be declassified. Restricted Data (Weapons Data) is "Born Classified" and remains classified for 50 years, when it can be re-reviewed. Some of the Trump Documents, were SCI (Sensitive Compartmentalized Information) and some others were SAP (Special Access Programs) you have to be "Read into" (and out of) those programs. Those two categories are the most sensitive of all documents, and dislcosure could result in "Grave Danger to National Security".