Meadows told special counsel he could not recall Trump ever declassifying Mar-a-Lago docs: Sources
Mark Meadows has told investigators he could not recall President Trump ever ordering the declassification of broad sets of materials before leaving office, sources say.
Doesn't matter if he recalled or not. It's Trump's document to declas, doesn't have to tell anyone jack shit
Quite right. My understanding is that de-classification is so that people OTHER THAN the POTUS know that they can see the documents - assuming they have the nright clearances, of course.
Well.... Mark is not Trumps gatekeeper. He doesn't need to remember something Trump may have never told him. Trump says he declassified, end of story.
It actually may be the best strategy to use. It doesn't help jackass Smith. It's a non-answer. If Meadows said, "Yes, I remember..." This opens up more probing on where are the documents and when was it. If Meadows said, "No Trump didn't..." This opens up more of a can of worms. I'd say Meadows answered correctly and safely.
I remember, how is it that this dolt doesnt ... he must be lying because he can go look it up-- It is written and signed, the day before he left the office. Look at that body language lololol
Memorandum on Declassification of Certain Materials Related to the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation LAW & JUSTICE
Issued on: January 19, 2021
MEMORANDUM FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
SUBJECT: Declassification of Certain Materials Related to the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:
Section 1. Declassification and Release. At my request, on December 30, 2020, the Department of Justice provided the White House with a binder of materials related to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Portions of the documents in the binder have remained classified and have not been released to the Congress or the public. I requested the documents so that a declassification review could be performed and so I could determine to what extent materials in the binder should be released in unclassified form.
I determined that the materials in that binder should be declassified to the maximum extent possible. In response, and as part of the iterative process of the declassification review, under a cover letter dated January 17, 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation noted its continuing objection to any further declassification of the materials in the binder and also, on the basis of a review that included Intelligence Community equities, identified the passages that it believed it was most crucial to keep from public disclosure. I have determined to accept the redactions proposed for continued classification by the FBI in that January 17 submission.
I hereby declassify the remaining materials in the binder. This is my final determination under the declassification review and I have directed the Attorney General to implement the redactions proposed in the FBI’s January 17 submission and return to the White House an appropriately redacted copy.
My decision to declassify materials within the binder is subject to the limits identified above and does not extend to materials that must be protected from disclosure pursuant to orders of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and does not require the disclosure of certain personally identifiable information or any other materials that must be protected from disclosure under applicable law. Accordingly, at my direction, the Attorney General has conducted an appropriate review to ensure that materials provided in the binder may be disclosed by the White House in accordance with applicable law.
Sec. 2. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The Attorney General is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
DONALD J. TRUMP
If the AG or others did not do their job, or the somehow tampered with documents that is on them, this doc is published on this FROZEN IN TIME White House archive.
https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-declassification-certain-materials-related-fbis-crossfire-hurricane-investigation/
So Meadows is basically saying that he didn't know how to do his own job.
this the same meadows that did not want Trump meeting with Powell, Flynn and byrne?
here it is in the Federal Register
PDF WARNING
https://sgp.fas.org/trump/ch-declass.pdf
This is different though. This is a specific order about specific materials.
We knew about this. It was reported.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/19/trump-doj-declassify-russia-probe-documents-460511
Here's what Meadows is responding to. Trump’s team claimed that the former President
Just the News has an article where 2 aides indicated there was a standing order and that there was no question. I am sure Trump knows precisely what the procedures are, and has followed them. My concern is all these untrustworthy people working for him and around him that could purposefully set him up or mess with his compliance.
.... But former top aides to prior presidents acknowledged the president's power to declassify was absolute and at times resulted in instant declassification decisions.
One prior administration official related an instance where his boss, while talking to a foreign leader, gave top-secret information to the leader, declassifying simply by sharing what he had seen in a top-secret marked document. Another official related an instance he witnessed in which a president, during a meeting, received a top secret document and one official got up to leave because his clearance was only at the secret level.
"The president instantly approved that staffer to stay and consume the top-secret intelligence because it benefited the president's work at that moment," the person told Just the News.
The president's detractors in Congress, the DOJ, and the intelligence community are likely to contest the president's arguments. But officials familiar with national security law said courts generally have held the president's power to declassify is far-reaching and that the process for how that happens can be more happenstance, something the Bush and Obama executive orders from 2003 and 2009 made clear.
Obama's executive order no. 13526, issued in 2009, laid out the stringent process all federal officials and agencies needed to follow for declassification, but explicitly exempted the sitting president and vice president from having to follow those procedures.
"Information originated by the incumbent President or the incumbent Vice President; the incumbent President’s White House Staff or the incumbent Vice President’s Staff; committees, commissions, or boards appointed by the incumbent President; or other entities within the Executive Office of the President that solely advise and assist the incumbent President is exempted from the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section," the Obama order stated.
Officials said it is likely the FBI will seek to find any officials or witnesses who knew or can confirm there was a "standing order" as described by the Trump statement. But in the end, officials said the president's declassification powers were sweeping and likely would be viewed as such by the courts.
The PRESIDENT is the senior executive.
The case is not going to be about the president's power to the classify, but the question as to whether the president did declassify.
Only one box worth of formerly classified documents. The DS tried to make it look like there was boxes and boxes of classified documents.
Also, Trump could have classified documents since he had an approved SCIF in his residence. Lots of military consultants and small businesses have classified documents in their business or even home offices. There are proper storage requirements, etc.
The SCIF at Mar a Lago was removed.
Trump just asked the DOJ for a new one
I am sure the physical portion is still there. So it would be a paperwork thing. I used to work in a SCIF.
I'm not so sure. Even after the subpoena he did not have them in a SCIF
Technically not required unless they are SCI or SAP. S and TS can just be in a safe. It was interesting that the FBI broke into Trump’s safe and it was empty.
SCI info is involved in this case
Pence seems to weigh in as well.
https://www.axios.com/2023/08/20/trump-classified-documents-mike-pence
A month ago there was a GAW thread saying Team Trump suspected Trump had flipped.
Now ABC is giving details of things Meadow said the Special Prosecutor.
Remember Bedminster? Trump was talking to Meadows's biographers. Meadows said in the early draft of the book, it was a classified document.
Meadows could be called as a witness.
I seem to recall seeing Trump's written order posted here at GAW about declassification of all docs.
I’m at the” hide and watch “ mode now— trust God!
all we have at this point as far as who to trust!!