Newly unsealed documents in Donald Trump’s classified documents case reveal that the Biden White House colluded with the National Archives (NARA) and the FBI to concoct a case against the former president.
Journalist Julie Kelly has been all over this:
NEW: Thanks to order by Judge Cannon, key evidence related to classified docs case is now unredacted.
On the left: What DOJ/Jack Smith wanted to conceal.
On the right: Now we know why. More proof of collaboration btw Biden White House and NARA to concoct a case. pic.twitter.com/YVHVmAfOai
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) April 22, 2024
What’s more, Special Counsel Jack Smith sought to conceal this – telling Judge Eileen Cannon in February that Trump’s counsel isn’t entitled to discovery on documents between the White House and NARA, that the court should toss requests for evidence of the alleged coordination, and that the court should deny Trump’s request for evidence related to secure facilities at his residences. Further, Trump’s request for unredacted discovery of materials should be denied.
To clear up any confusion as to what Special Counsel Jack Smith sought to conceal in classified documents case, this is what Smith told Judge Cannon in Feb 2024 in response to Trump’s motion to compel discovery from numerous govt agencies:
1) Defendants are not entitled to…
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) April 23, 2024
As the Epoch Times notes further, the trove of unsealed filings also revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) code name for its investigation into President Trump’s presidential records was “[Redacted] Plasmic Echo.”
A key exhibit included with a motion to compel filed in January was an FBI case file labeled “[Redacted] PLASMIC ECHO; Mishandling of Classified or National Defense Information.”
The defense has argued that the emails unsealed on Monday indicate communication between NARA officials, the Biden administration, and the DOJ regarding President Trump’s records, alleging coordination in targeting the former president since 2021.
One email from NARA’s general counsel to the national archivist discussed drafting a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland concerning “missing Trump records.” Subsequent emails revealed coordination between NARA and the Biden White House counsel’s office regarding the handling of these records.
The same month (Feb 2022) that Biden’s White House and DOJ were in cahoots with NARA to concoct a reckless document-handling case against Trump, Maggie Haberman helped the cause by claiming Trump used to flush files down the toilet: https://t.co/6ahzAv3p0F
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) April 22, 2024
The Sept. 1, 2021, email revealed that NARA’s general counsel, Gary Stern, had been in touch with both the DOJ and the Biden White House “about this issue.” A subsequent email on Sept. 30, 2021, reveals that the White House counsel’s office “is now ready to set up a call to discuss the Trump boxes.”
This email came after Mr. Stern emailed Deputy White House Counsel Jonathan Su two days earlier to “check back in to see when and how you want to proceed re [sic] meeting with [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], and NARA to discuss the Trump boxes?”
Furthermore, the defense highlighted instances where NARA officials didn’t disclose certain actions to Trump representatives, suggesting bias in the investigation process.
The defense alleged that Mr. Su didn’t disclose to a Trump representative that NARA had already drafted a DOJ referral letter when contacting them to discuss access to notes “from the Trump administration relating to records handling.”
* * *
MORE NEW INFO from unredacted evidence in classified documents case.
Within 24 hours of receiving 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago, here is assessment by NARA.
F*cking clown show– pic.twitter.com/yc6RKR7TXg
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) April 22, 2024
Despite extensive cooperation btw DOJ and NARA, the govt in May 2023 subpoenaed NARA for other documents. (Trying to figure this one out)
19 of the responsive docs–meaning complied with specific request in subpoena–related to Crossfire Hurricane and John Durham investigation: pic.twitter.com/GUE1pxS1TF
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) April 23, 2024
More from Epoch:
The unsealed emails show that NARA took into consideration the Democrat-led January 6 Committee’s investigation when considering the timing of reporting to Congress on their issues of getting access to President Trump’s posts on Twitter (now X).
On Oct. 5, 2023, Mr. Stern wrote in an internal NARA email that the release of a letter to Congress “can be timed with our public release of the Trump social media records … as well as our release to the 1/6 Committee of responsive tweets on the day of January 6.”
Mr. Stern noted that NARA had “issues” getting President Trump’s “social media records” because the Trump White House didn’t “capture them through the use of third-party archiving tools.”
“I do not think that these problems are something that the AG/DOJ can deal with, but it could be appropriate to report them to Congress, especially since the January 6 Committee has specifically requested Trump’s Tweets from the day of January 6,” Mr. Stern wrote in the email.
Mr. Stern adds that the Biden White House counsel “is now also aware of this issue, and has asked that I keep them in the loop to the extent that we make any reference to the White House Office of Records Management.”
Another email shows Mr. Ferriero saying that he had run “out of patience” amid back-and-forth communications with Trump representatives regarding “missing boxes” that, according to a draft email to the attorney general, were reported as having been “possibly destroyed.”
‘Matters of Public Record’
The defense, along with a coalition of news media, asked the court to unseal these exhibits, arguing that the court filings are “matters of public record.”
The defense has accused the prosecution of withholding potentially exculpatory evidence and alleged bias in the investigation.
The filings made public on Monday revealed previously sealed information while limiting the redactions to keeping secret the names of government witnesses.
They were included as exhibits in a motion to compel the prosecution to produce discovery material. In the Jan. 16 motion, they argued that the office of Special Counsel Jack Smith has engaged in discovery violations and has disregarded fundamental fairness in its pursuit of prosecuting President Trump.
The disclosures come amid a protracted battle over court documents, with Judge Aileen Cannon having reminded both parties in various court filings of the “strong presumption of public access” in the criminal proceedings, showing a preference for making public as much as possible. In January, she ordered that no unclassified material be sealed unless there were clear risks to personal safety or national security.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 04/23/2024 – 13:25
