Jack Smith’s inside man

| 7:00 pm EDT May 23, 2023
Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.

Now that the courts have given the green light to Jack Smith, we’re learning new information from Donald Trump’s former attorney, Evan Corcoran. According to the Guardian, new evidence shows that Donald Trump had notice of the inadvisability of defying the DOJ’s subpoena. Evan Corcoran recently had to testify again to Smith’s grand jury without attorney-client privilege in play. Donald Trump is, once again, caught in yet another lie, which is no surprise to anyone.

This was all simple and never had to go this far. The DOJ shouldn’t have had to subpoena records that belonged with the National Archives, and once they did, those documents should have been immediately returned. Leave it to Trump to turn this into the circus it has become. Trump was warned by his attorney that he couldn’t keep the documents once the government signaled that it wanted them back, and that has become the crux of Smith’s obstruction case. Trump did, in fact, obstruct the DOJ from retrieving the documents by first having his lawyer lie that the 40 documents he returned was it, but the FBI found more than 100 additional documents after it served a warrant on Mar-a-Lago.

According to Trump’s valet Walt Nauta, Trump had him move boxes after the subpoena was issued, and he was caught doing it on tape. This and other information were the subject of approximately 50 pages of notes that Evan Corcoran turned over. Nauta was at the center of everything, as he was the person Corcoran asked to unlock the storage room so that he could search for additional documents. Corcoran’s notes are so detailed, the Guardian reported, that he even recorded Trump’s facial expressions and reactions when told of the subpoena. Trump and his allies, not surprisingly, now claim that Trump was merely asking Corcoran for legal advice, yet he continues to this day to claim he had “the absolute right” to take and keep classified documents. He said it again on his recent CNN town hall.

While the Guardian believes obstruction charges will be “challenging,” Trump’s action should make it relatively easy for Smith. He willfully disregarded the government’s subpoena after he became aware of it and tried moving the documents to other places. If that isn’t obstruction, the word has no meaning. He obstructed the DOJ’s attempt to retrieve those documents at every turn. Yes, the government needs to keep compiling its evidence to ensure it has an airtight case, but everywhere they turn, Trump has put the evidence they need in the public sphere through his very words. His intention to keep what didn’t belong to him was obvious, and he continues to put it on display.

As the evidence against Trump continues to unfold, it is interesting how the special counsel, Trump’s attorneys, and anyone else asked to confirm information have “no comment.” Trump, on the other hand, continues to run his mouth. The government can get no better evidence than what comes from the proverbial horse’s mouth or horse’s ass when it comes to Trump.

Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.