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By Rose Volstorf, El Cajon
June 13, 2023 (El Cajon) -- “This is secret information. Look, look at this.”
Those are the words of former president Donald Trump, captured on tape, while he was showing stolen classified documents to others in a meeting at his private club, Mar-a-Lago. This is one of the many disturbing details in the recent indictment against Trump, where he is charged with 37 federal crimes, including obstruction of justice and violations of the Espionage Act.
The classified documents included information about U.S. and foreign defense and weapons capabilities, U.S. nuclear secrets, potential military vulnerabilities, and response plans for a possible foreign attack against the U.S. That’s just plain terrifying.
Trump’s political allies don’t want us to believe the charges are true. But when Trump himself publicly and repeatedly confirmed that he intentionally took classified documents, hid them at his private residence, and stonewalled law enforcement from reclaiming what he stole, we can no longer deny the truth.
The rule of law is a basic principle, and no one is above it—including Trump. Fame, fortune, and title cannot and should not prevent someone from being held accountable for wrongdoing.
The opinions in this reader’s editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
Comments
So...
...how about Hillary and Bill, all the Bidens, Comey. Oh right, they are DEMONcrats. Time for the Revolution?
The Espionage Act isn't only for prosecuting spies.
Fact check: Multiple non-spies have received prison sentences under Espionage Act provision Trump is charged with violating
From the article:
The Espionage Act does not merely target “traitors and spies.” Even during Trump’s own presidency, obscure citizens who kept classified material at their homes, and were never accused of communicating it to anyone or aiding a foreign country, were convicted and sentenced to years in prison under the very same Espionage Act provision Trump is now charged with breaking. The Espionage Act provision under which Trump was indicted by a Florida federal grand jury on 31 counts, Section 793(e), makes it a crime when someone without authorization “willfully retains” national defense information “and fails to deliver it to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it.”
https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/15/politics/fact-check-espionage-act-trump-w...
There is no claim that Trump committed espionage
This IS claimed- he is charged under the Espionage Act.
Read the indictment. Whether it can be proven remains to be seen, but many legal experts, even conservative ones are saying that the evidence shown already in the indictment presents a strong case.
Biden is not likely to be next, nor is Pence, since both returned whatever classified materials they had. WE don't know what those were, but they likely were not the highest level classificaitons that the documents taken by Trump were, including nuclear secrets and info on U.S. human assets (ie spies) overseas. Nor were Biden or Pence's docs stored in a clubhouse accessed by thousands of people. Nor did either of them obstruct justice when asked to return the documents.