US Attorney General Merrick Garland
The Justice Department is investigating Trump’s handling of classified White House documents stored at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
The National Archives in February asked the Justice Department to investigate Trump’s handling of White House records after it raided Mar-a-Lago in January and took 15 boxes of documents.
The National Archives previously claimed classified records were found in Trump’s boxes at Mar-a-Lago.
“NARA has identified items marked as classified national security information within the boxes,” Ferriero wrote, responding to a question from the House, according to CNN. “Because NARA identified classified information in the boxes, NARA staff has been in communication with the Department of Justice.”
Trump routinely brought classified material to Mar-a-Lago, a place he dubbed his ‘Winter White House.’
Whenever President Trump has wanted to view/store classified material at Mar-a-Lago, he would do so in a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility).
The classified material found by the National Archives was stored in the SCIF and it is not unusual for a former president to be in possession of classified documents.
Furthermore, a US president can declassify material at any time.
The Justice Department has launched an investigation into Trump’s handling of the White House documents, because why not.
CNN reported:
The Justice Department has begun investigating the handling 15 boxes of White House records, including classified information, taken to Mar-a-Lago after former President Donald Trump left office, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.
This comes as the Justice Department is blocking the National Archives from sharing details on the boxes with Congress, which has launched its own investigation.
The FBI and Justice prosecutors routinely conduct reviews when classified materials are found to have been handled or stored in ways that don’t meet government requirements. Moving and storing classified information to the former President’s private club in Florida would appear to fall outside those requirements.
It is also common practice for the Justice Department to limit information that government agencies share with Congress while an investigation is ongoing.
The Justice Department declined to comment. The Archives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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