Former US President donald trump‘s defense in the Mar-a-Lago Document cases are getting weaker by the day. A report from The New York Times suggests that Trump was fully aware of the consequences of withholding government documents long before the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided his Florida home.
What happened: Former White House Counsel Eric Herschman Trump had warned late last year of the potential legal ramifications of failing to return government documents he took during his tenure, the NYT said, citing three people familiar with the matter.
Trump was specifically advised to return classified material in his possession, the report said. The exact date of the meeting between the two and whether Herschmann knew what was in the boxes is not known for certain, he added.
However, Trump thanked the attorney and offered no obligation on the return of the documents, the report said, citing sources.
Later in January, Trump returned 15 boxes of materials he took from the White House to the National Archives, including 184 classified documents, the Justice Department said, according to the NYT. Regardless, Trump was carrying a “substantial stash of other documents” and reportedly returned some in response to a subpoena issued in June.
A court-authorized search by the Federal Bureau of Investigation In early August, more documents were seized from the ex-president’s residence in Mar-a-Lago, including around 100 documents marked as secret.
Why it matters: The Justice Department has applied to the Court of Appeals for access to the classified documents held by the South Florida District Court judge Aileen cannon prohibited the agency from viewing any documents and granted Trump’s request to appoint a special master.
The Justice Department and Donald Trump’s legal team were invited by Richter Raymond DearieWho was…
Read full story here https://www.benzinga.com/government/22/09/28925745/act-of-commission-trump-warned-about-legal-implications-of-holding-government-files-well-ahead-of-ma
