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Yeah, but...
Author: BobR    Date: 08/24/2022 12:57:53

The news out of Mar-a-Lardo just keeps piling up. It was revealed yesterday that TFG had several hundred classified documents stashed at his current "place of employment". He is demanding that ALL documents relating to the FBI action be unsealed, including the affidavit that contains sensitive information (not just the search warrant), effectively allowing the doxxing of witnesses and agents.

That search warrant provided a tantalizing insight as to why it was being executed: In codified language, it proposes that TFG violated the espionage act:
On Aug. 12, the Justice Department unsealed the search warrant executed at the FBI’s recent search of Mar-a-Lago—the resort, occasional wedding venue, and primary home to former President Donald Trump. The warrant authorizes the seizure of materials “constituting evidence, contraband, fruits of crime, or other items illegally possessed in violation of 18 U.S.C. 793, 2071, or 1519.”

18 U.S.C. § 793 is the Espionage Act.

Accusing someone of committing espionage is pretty serious. How well have other folks fared after committing espionage?

  • The Rosenbergs: This is probably the most well-known case, probably because they were both executed after being convicted.


  • Chelsea Manning: Sentenced to 35 years for espionage (as well as other crimes, such as theft).


  • Julian Assange: The Wikileaks founder has an 18 count indictment against him. He has avoided prosecution by fleeing the country, but may soon be required to face charges due to unrelated sexual assault charges that allow extradition.


  • Reality Winner: (yes, that's her real name). She leaked a report on Russian interference in the 2016 election to Glenn Greenwald's rag The Intercept. She received a 5 year, 3 month sentence.

So where does that leave TFG? In addition to espionage, and although it's common knowledge now, it's worth repeating that he signed a bill in 2018 increasing the penalty from one to five years for "wrongly moving classified material, turning it from a misdemeanor into a felony". This was aimed directly at former candidate Hillary Clinton, but of course laws cannot be written to favor or ignore one person over another.

He himself has had some harsh words for the crimes he is accused of committing, in particular on 08/18/2016, when he claimed "I'm going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information. No one will be above the law". A couple weeks later, he said "One of the first things we must do is to enforce all classification rules and to enforce all laws relating to the handling of classified information... Nothing threatens the integrity of our democracy more than when government officials put their public office up for sale".

Of course, he was referring to "butter emails", but sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander as well. To requote TFG: "No one will be above the law"... and we all know TFG doesn't think of himself as a "no one".
 

10 comments (Latest Comment: 08/24/2022 21:13:21 by BobR)
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