OnPolitics: Will Trump face rare charges for mishandling classified documents?
Happy Monday, OnPolitics readers!
In case you missed it, the Justice Department on Friday released a redacted version of the affidavit justifying the unprecedented search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago.
The affidavit revealed that highly classified national defense information — including records relating to clandestine human sources, some of the most guarded information in U.S. intelligence — was included in 15 boxes of documents recovered from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in January. It also gave some insight into the documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago earlier this month.
‘Top Secret’ classifications: The affidavit for the search warrant lists 184 unique documents bearing classification markings, including 67 documents marked as confidential, 92 documents marked as secret, and 25 documents marked as top secret.
Not secure: The storage room at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s residential suite Pine Hall and his office called the “45 Office” were “not currently authorized locations for the storage of classified information or” national defense information, the affidavit said. Documents were stored in multiple locations on the premises.
Here are the main takeaways from the affidavit.
It’s Amy and Ella with today’s top stories out of Washington.
Charges for mishandling classified documents are rare
The criminal statutes cited by the Justice Department in the search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate for mishandled documents are rarely prosecuted, but legal experts say investigators may still be building a criminal case, rather than simply retrieving classified records.
“privilege review team” to sort through materials seized from Mar-a-Lago.
In 2024, Democratic voters want a unifier, Republicans want a fighter
It’s not just that Democratic and Republican voters disagree about who should be the next president. A new USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll finds they also have different visions of the crucial characteristics to do the job.
Democratic voters say they want most of all a unifier who will focus on bringing the country together and finding compromises.
Republican voters value first and foremost a fighter who will battle on behalf of “the freedom and dignity of all Americans.”
Chris Hastings, 80, a conservative retiree from Hoover, Ala., who was among those surveyed, wants a contender who is “strong enough to fight the media,” a quality he sees in former president Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “I can’t stand mealy-mouthed Republicans that just let themselves get pushed around,” he said.
Talina Tantall, 54, a stay-at-home mom and a Democrat from Buckley, Michigan, has other traits in mind. “Someone who really cares about other people, isn’t out for their own political gains or their own monetary gains,” she said.
Partisans on both sides do want this: A nominee who can win. Read more of what voters want.
“Defund the FBI” slogans have created a new line of attack for President Biden and Democrats. Could Republican calls to defund the agency boost Democrats in midterm races? –Ella Amy