WASHINGTON DC, USA – Donald Trump, the former U.S. President, is reported to be having difficulty understanding the classification of government documents that were seized from him, and why he can’t have them back.
This comes after the Justice Department made a case on Thursday, June 29, 2023, against him for improperly handling classified documents.
The case alleges that Trump retained classified government documents without authorization and failed to return them despite multiple requests.
According to Rolling Stone, even after Trump’s legal team informed him that he could face indictment for these actions, he insisted that these are “my documents” and demanded their return.
He allegedly asked his attorneys if they could retrieve them from federal authorities.
The source, who has direct knowledge of the matter, mentioned that Trump has had multiple conversations over the past few months regarding the documents seized during an FBI raid in August last year.
Trump has purportedly claimed that it is “illegal” for him to be separated from these documents and has insisted that they belong to him.
Moreover, he has expressed the belief that he will recover these documents after his predicted inauguration for a second term in January 2025.
Notably, Trump’s claims regarding the ownership of the documents in question are not limited to private discussions.
During a speech at the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference, Trump stated, “Whatever documents a president decides to take with him, he has the absolute right to take them. He has the absolute right to keep them, or he can give them back [to the government], if he wants…. That’s the law, and it couldn’t be more clear.”
His campaign also circulated an email to media stating, “TRUMP IS RIGHT! The Presidential Records Act Allows Presidents To Take Whatever Documents They Want.”
Additionally, The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed suggesting that the documents Trump kept are not “agency records” as per the Presidential Records Act and arguing that his decision to keep these records cannot be questioned.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, a spokesperson for Donald Trump remarked, “This is a Presidential Records Act issue, and it’s ridiculous that the government is trying this under the Espionage Act.”
Furthermore, an audio recording of Trump handling papers and discussing a plan to attack Iran, in which he references “these are the papers” and “this is still a secret,” seems to contradict his claim in a Fox News interview that “there was no document” and that he was merely holding “newspaper stories, magazine stories, and articles.”
This case continues to develop and brings attention to the responsibilities and obligations of public officials concerning the handling of government documents.
