Here comes the DOJ cavalry against Donald Trump
Given the constant barrage of investigations involving Donald Trump, surely one of them will come to fruition. Washington Post reported that the DOJ is investigating the 15 boxes of materials that he surreptitiously removed from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago club. It still boggles the sane mind why Trump thought he had any right to presidential documents. He was no longer president, and even if he had been, those documents belong in the National Archives, especially documents marked “top secret” like those taken by Trump. How dare he? What was his intention in taking those documents? Either way, the DOJ plans to get to the bottom of things.
According to an anonymous source, the investigation has just recently begun. They are purportedly looking at the materials and are seeking anyone who may have seen them or helped to put them together or helped to move them. Sounds like someone other than Trump is going to be in hot water. Of course, we know someone helped because Trump is a lazy oaf who couldn’t even go into the kitchen for his own Diet Coke, let alone pack up and lug boxes. Regardless of how they got to Trump’s home, someone was involved. According to WaPo, the move was prompted by Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), who is chair of the House Oversight Committee. She has accused the DOJ of obstructing her investigation of the removal of these documents in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, in which she claimed interference because the National Archives is being prevented from turning over a detailed inventory. That means that she nor other committee members even know what is in the boxes, which they are entitled to know for purposes of national security. WaPo reported that if there is indeed an investigation being undertaken by the DOJ, they would not want an inventory released just yet and may well be the reason that has not been done.
The DOJ moves at its own pace and in its own ways. As WaPo reported, there is no way to tell how far any investigation has gone, including whether they have even determined what is in the boxes, though some are clearly marked “classified.” According to WaPo, the DOJ has already been in touch with the National Archives about investigating the issue, and AG Garland has publicly said they would be looking into the matter. In the meantime, Trump’s camp claims that what Trump did was “normal and routine.” Please. Nothing that man does is “normal,” and it is certainly not routine to remove classified information from the White House. No other president in history has ever done such a thing, and no matter how much Trump and his people protest, Trump broke and continues to break norms of presidential behavior and responsibility, not to mention breaking the law.
Perhaps this is the investigation that will finally get Donald Trump. WaPo sought comment from the FBI and were told: “We can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation.” Of course, they cannot. That is not how investigations work. All we can do is wait to see if anything comes of this.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years