The Justice Department filed a response late last night to Donald Trump‘s request for a federal judge to appoint a “special master” to review the records seized from Mar-a-Lago earlier this month and, once again, things look pretty grim for the one-term, twice-impeached ex-president.
In its 36-page filing, the DOJ argues that FPOTUS’s request for a special master “fails for multiple, independent reasons,” and accuses him of leveling “wide-ranging meritless accusations” against the U.S. government.
Related: Why has Melania been radio silent about the Mar-a-Lago raid? She’s “annoyed”, sources say.
Unlike Trump, however, federal prosecutors don’t just hurl wild accusations around without offering any evidence to support their claims. They have receipts. Lots of them.
The filing goes on to explain that FBI agents recovered a total of 33 boxes containing more than 100 highly classified documents stashed in the ex-president’s home office when they searched Mar-a-Lago on August 8.
The information contained in the documents is so sensitive, it adds, that FBI counterintelligence agents tasked with reviewing the materials needed additional security clearances. Thus, appointing a special master “is unnecessary and would significantly harm important governmental interests, including national security interests.”
Oof!
Related: Mary Trump has some thoughts about the explosive Mar-a-Lago affidavit that was just released
But federal prosecutors didn’t stop there. The filing also explains that the DOJ tried for months to get the documents back from Trump prior to August 8, but to no avail.
NPR reports:
The timeline laid out by the Justice Department made clear that the extraordinary search of Mar-a-Lago came only after other efforts to retrieve the records had failed, and that it resulted from law enforcement suspicion that additional documents remained inside the property despite assurances by Trump representatives that a “diligent search” had accounted for all of the material.
It also included a picture of some of the seized documents bearing clear classification markings, perhaps as a way to rebut suggestions that whoever packed them or was handling them could have easily failed to appreciate their sensitive nature.
The photo the DOJ submitted with the filing is peak Trump. It shows a pile of government documents marked “TOP SECRET//SCI” and “SECRET//SCI” spread out across the gaudy black and gold carpet at Mar-a-Lago. Beside them is a banker’s box of tacky gold-framed picture frames, including a Time magazine cover.
Documents seized at Mar-a-Lago. ? by DOJ. pic.twitter.com/FLSk7D7YW7
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 31, 2022
There they are, folx! Our nation’s most top secrets sitting on the floor of the ex-president’s home office in Florida.
In a post on his Truth Social page today, Trump claimed he declassified all the records shown in the photo, writing: “Terrible the way the FBI, during the Raid of Mar-a-Lago, threw documents haphazardly all over the floor (perhaps pretending it was me that did it!), and then started taking pictures of them for the public to see. Thought they wanted them kept Secret? Lucky I Declassified!”
Related: Mary Trump thinks she knows who tipped off the FBI about her crazy uncle and, no, it’s not Melania
But the DOJ says his team never “asserted that the former president had declassified the documents or asserted any claim of executive privilege.”
Trump has until 8PM tonight to submit a response to the DOJ’s filing. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump in 2020, is set to hear arguments on the matter tomorrow.
Now, some tweets…
NEW: Trump and his team repeatedly failed to hand over classified documents, and their efforts to keep the papers at his Mar-a-Lago home constituted obstruction of a criminal investigation, prosecutors told a federal judge late Tuesday in a 36-page brief.
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) August 31, 2022
It is not hyperbole at this point to assert that the Mar-a-Lago classified documents seizure is a much bigger scandal than Watergate ever was.
We must have accountability.
— Really American ?? (@ReallyAmerican1) August 31, 2022
These are some of the documents the FBI recovered from Mar-A-Lago as they disclosed in a court filing last night. If they look serious, it’s because they are, and some of the markings even suggest human source intelligence, materials people risk their lives to gather and protect. pic.twitter.com/T7mApwnyZf
— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) August 31, 2022
DOJ says it seized some of the classified documents from inside Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago desk. GAME OVER.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) August 31, 2022
Once Trump goes to jail, they should turn Mar-a-Lago into a homeless shelter.
— The USA Singers (@TheUSASingers) August 31, 2022
One of the key parts of the DOJ's filing that stood out to me was that some of the documents at Mar A Lago were so classified, even FBI agents and DOJ attorneys had to wait for increased security clearance to view them.
— Aaron Parnas (@AaronParnas) August 31, 2022
donald trump is freaking the fuck out. And it’s absolutely glorious.
— Jo ? (@JoJoFromJerz) August 30, 2022
"They keep coming after Trump!"
Dudes. Trump hasn't been mired in criminal investigations because people hate his haircut or tacky buildings.
It's because he is a career criminal who keeps getting caught. But now, he no longer has the power of the presidency to protect himself.
— Brett Meiselas (@BMeiselas) August 31, 2022
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Trump is now under investigation for tax fraud, election fraud, insurrection and violating the Espionage Act. And he's the Republican frontrunner for 2024
— David Lazarus (@Davidlaz) August 27, 2022
In other Trump news, the RNC has finally–finally!–cut him off and says he’s going to have to pay for his own legal expenses when it comes to this whole Mar-a-Lago mess. Until now, GOP donors have been footing the bill for all of the investigations into the ex-president’s alleged bad behavior.
That ends today. Or rather, yesterday.
Politico reported on Tuesday:
Trump will have to pay on his own. A person familiar with the matter confirmed that the Republican National Committee is not paying for Trump’s legal fees related to the FBI’s investigation and retrieval of documents at Mar-a-Lago. That’s a departure of sorts from the past. The RNC has, for example, paid for Trump’s legal bills involving New York Attorney General Tish James’ investigation into the former president’s private businesses.
bachy
Despite impatient calls from the public to hurry and get it over with, I’m impressed by the deliberate, thorough, incremental and indisputable process implemented by the DOJ.
These f*ckers aren’t fooling around. It’s the only way to capture a giant, slippery, oily orange squid, and they know it.
Creamsicle
I’m really hoping this leads to some actual consequences for him for a change. The treasonous bastard is already getting away with organizing an attempted coup and inciting violence that directly lead to 5 deaths at the Capitol Building last year. The irony of Trump going down because he actually mishandled highly classified information after making his political career on vilifying Hilary Clinton over a private email server is a little bit delicious.
I’m cynical enough that I’m not going to believe in those consequences it until I see it though.
GlobeTrotter
I remain unimpressed. Furthermore I predict that Trump and the GOP will create so much spin and resort to so many dirty tricks that the flat-footed Dems will be caught completely off guard and the entire case will go up in a puff of smoke, having no effect whatsoever on the November or 2024 elections.
At this point, it’s pretty much a given that Trump will move back into the White House, and we have only the Dems to blame. Never have I seen such an incompetent, idiotic, self-defeating bunch of fools as this current batch of democratic politicians. They could be staring a golden opportunity squarely in the face and STILL manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Trump is the most corrupt, deceitful, narcissistic, stupid and unqualified individual ever to inhabit the office of the presidency. His list of crimes and corrupt activities are so long and obvious that when FBI agents opened the doors to his Mar-a-Lago office, it was littered with the world’s most top secret classified documents scattered around all over the floor and his desk, as if Trump wallowed in the documents while playing make-believe President. Despite his impressive list of crimes getting longer by the day, in addition to thousands upon thousands of self-incriminating tweets where he openly boasts about his criminal exploits, the Dems have YET to lock up Trump and throw away the key, DESPITE almost 2 years of wielding power.
They’ve allowed the GOP to control and determine the message, they’ve allowed Trump to continually thwart and delay the course of justice, they’ve allowed the minority to hold up and deny major pieces of legislation (basically ushering in minority rule), they’ve allowed GOP state legislatures to gerrymander their way to election victories, they’ve refused to use their congressional powers to reign in out-of-touch federal judges and defiant democratic colleagues and they have a president who refuses to lead his party and pull the damn leash when necessary to enforce party discipline. The democrats are completely and utterly without competency, and they’ll fumble this chance to put Trump away just like they’ve done umpteen times in the past.
In other words, we’re SCREWED, so get ready for Trump 2.0!
middleagespread
Very well said!!! We need to get on the same page as a party. Too much infighting and a couple of DINO’s are preventing any improvement.
gregg2010
I have to agree completely. If it isn’t Trump, it will be de Santis in the White House which is bad if not worse. The Dems have completely blown it.
white-queer-african
@Globe….WHATE-V-E-R!
The right-wing troll still boring us with his rambling drivel. His thinly disguised messaging fools me not.
Just FO. And it is NOT please.
GlobeTrotter
@gregg2010: If it’s De Santis, then we’re royally screwed without lube for the next 8 years! Unlike Trump, who was so dimwitted yet thoroughly convinced he was a genius that the GOP basically exploited him as a useful idiot, De Santis is actually a disciplined, intelligent and pretty calculating guy. A President De Santis will actually intelligently plan and implement his own agenda to meticulously roll back many of the expanded civil rights we’ve come to enjoy these past few years. Dobbs will be just a prelude to what’s to come. With a President De Santis, Speaker McCarthy and Justice Thomas (the REAL Chief Justice of the Supreme Court), the GOP will usher in an 18th century, literal interpretation of the Constitution, complete with 18th century style laws and social policies. Bye-bye gay marriage, hello to gay sex ban, welcome to women as Handmaidens – it’ll be back to the closet for all the proud gays!
mailliw110
Soooo……Over thirty years of going after Hillary. Including the infamous 11 hour grilling from the Senate and FOUR YEARS OF TRUMP! She is still free!!!!! Although, the difference here is that Hillary fully cooperated with the investigation and Trump, obviously, did not. The PARTY of LAW and ORDER failed AGAIN!!!
Mister P
GlobeTroller you are so far off base that you are in the wrong ball park. I do not have the time to show you the errors of your rant.
It is up to the FBI and DOJ to prosecute crimes and not the Dems.
Fahd
The important thing is that the DOJ did the right thing in getting the documents back.
Even if the tangerine palpatine were convicted, he’d appeal up to the Supreme Court which he has corrupted with his appointments. That court’s majority will see to it that his case is heard and that he is acquitted. Sad!
scotty
did someone order the narcissistic collapse platter for 5? coming right up!!
greekboy
Love the 1953 bowling alley carpet
Kangol2
There are now multiple investigations, criminal and civil, into the crimes of Don the Con. They are running on parallel and sometimes intersecting tracks. This one involving Don the Con’s violation of laws involving espionage, document theft and possession of classified information, is fairly straightforward, and because he cannot stop lying and indicting himself and has very poor legal representation (they gave material falsehoods to the DOJ!), he is in extreme jeopardy with this case.
There is also the case in Georgia in which he attempted to overturn a legitimate state election, and for which he is on tape as having asked the Georgia Secretary of State, a Republican, to “find” thousands of votes for him despite having legitimately lost. Don the Con and all his enablers are also in serious legal jeopardy for that. The DA there has begun amassing considerable evidence and none of it looks good for Don the Con or his enablers.
On top of that, there are the increasingly damning findings of the January 6 Select Committee, which has amassed tons of evidence showing not only Don the Con’s central role in fomenting a coup against the United State government and the violent, murderous attack on the US Capitol, which included coup participants calling for the murder of the sitting Republican Vice President, but a wider conspiracy building up to this attempted coup, and multiple avenues by which Don the Con hoped to cling to power and stay in office. He has not yet been indicted on anything related to the January 6 attempted coup, but that could be coming.
Additionally he is facing a civil lawsuit in the State of New York involving his corrupt businesses. The NY Attorney General has refused to be intimidated, and her actions and those of the court could lead to the end, or at least a severe clamping down on his chicanery masquerading as a business. As was clear when Don the Con was forced to testify and repeatedly pleaded the 5th, he knows if he gave any answers he’d probably be charged with perjury, and he remains in serious liability even after trying not to further endanger himself because of his extreme narcissism and lies.
Then there was the ongoing criminal investigation by the Manhattan DA’s office into the Don the Con Crime family’s business practices, but Alvin Bragg, the new Democratic Manhattan DA, decided to slow roll that investigation, even though two of the prosecutors who resigned said they had a strong case to convict Don the Con.
Nevertheless, contrary to what GlobeTrotter is saying, he is facing multiple points of serious legal jeopardy at this point.
GlobeTrotter
He’s been facing all these multiple points of serious legal jeopardy for years now, and to date ZERO indictments. The January 6th committee has been investigating and holding bombshell hearings for over a year now, to date ZERO indictments. The State of Georgia has been investigating Trump since time immemorial, to date ZILCH. The State of New York has likewise been investigating Trump for years, as a matter of fact the current AG even ran and was elected on a promise to hold Trump accountable. To date, NOTHING. Dozens of states, contractors, former employees, defrauded “university” students, even a couple of dissatisfied prostitutes have been trying FOR YEARS to put Don the Con in front of a judge. To date, NADA!
Don the Con boasted that he could shoot a guy on 5th Avenue and not face any consequences, and I believe him. So you’ll forgive me for not holding my breath this time.
still_onthemark
GlobeTrotter is used to those 10 p.m. courtroom dramas like “Law & Order” where everything gets neatly wrapped up in 50 minutes, dammit!
Gadfeal
What is most ODD is that the academically challenged man with a Grade 6 use of English, and who, by the indications of several White House insiders during his presidency, was incapable of reading more than half a page at one, somehow had the ability to surreptitiously smuggle such highly classified documents of note.
Maybe there is an eminence grise who is Trump’s “brain” since I doubt that DT would have ever read any other them, nor even take his mind off himself long enough to understand the unfathomable risk caused by making them so casually unsecured.
Even worse, maybe said eminence grise with brains actually deliberately got DT to take documents that some would dearly pay for (NB – NOT “pay for dearly”)?
Who could this be?
still_onthemark
Dunno about an eminence grise, but there were a lot of “greasy eminences” hanging around. Maybe Steve Bannon?
mailliw110
Damn you people and your bigly words!!!! DJT (This is sarcasm Globetrotter)
Terrycloth
Trump will try to prolong this with dozens of lawyers try and gum up the system and drag this out as long as possible..he needs 30 years at least and a ban from running for any office again mayor or dog catcher.
No house arrest , no coushy prison and no pardons must serve it all …oh ASAP
abfab
Do Hemlock trees grow well in Palm Beach?
Jimmynj
Just lock him up already, along with is equally criminal children, any allies and his attorneys. They all have committed so many crimes, it’s time they are held accountable.