Donald Trump allegedly stole top secret documents and took them to his private residence in Florida. The former US president denies that, but a new sound recording could now be his downfall.
According to media reports, investigators have gathered new details in the affair surrounding the handling of classified government documents by the former US president. The television channel CNN and other media reported Wednesday evening (local time), citing informed circles, that detectives had come across a sound recording from the summer of 2021. In it, Trump admitted that he was in possession of a classified Pentagon document.
He made it clear that he knew he had taken confidential material with him after leaving the White House. This could undermine Trump’s argument that he previously released all material found on him after leaving office – i.e., lifted the secrecy of the documents.
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Trump lawyer James Trusty defended the ex-president to CNN: “There is no question that as commander-in-chief, he has the constitutional right to override secrecy.” A “bureaucratic process” is not necessary for this.
According to the reports, Trump’s comments referenced a document on Iran. The New York Times wrote that the audio recording came from a meeting Trump held in July 2021 with several people who helped his former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, write his memoirs. The conversation took place on Trump’s property in New Jersey.
The Federal Police FBI had searched Trump’s private residence Mar-a-Lago in Florida last August and seized several classified information, some of them with the highest level of secrecy. The fact that the Republican kept the documents in his private home long after he left office could have prosecuted him.
Hundreds of secret documents seized
For months, the National Archives tried to obtain papers from the Trump administration. Trump’s lawyers eventually turned over documents — but by no means all of them, as the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search revealed. In all, the administration has recovered more than 300 classified Trump documents since Trump left office.
The US Justice Department has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the allegations against Trump. The Republican has criticized the investigation against him as politically motivated and has long complained that it was merely an attempt by his opponents to prevent him from re-entering the White House. Trump officially announced last November that he would run for president again in the November 2024 presidential election.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
