- A judge ordered the FBI to disclose unreleased materials in the Donald Trump classified documents case. Charges against Trump in the case were dropped after he was reelected.
- The FBI must disclose the documents by Feb. 20.
- A federal appeals court also dropped the case against Trump’s valet and property manager, accused of helping him hide the documents at his Mar-a-Lago home.
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FBI records from the Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation will soon be released despite the dismissal of the case against President Donald Trump. The announcement comes after a U.S. district judge ruled Monday, Feb. 10 the FBI must disclose more information related to the case by Feb. 20.
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The judge’s decision stems from a Freedom of Information Act case brought by journalist Jason Leopold.
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Leopold filed a request with the FBI in 2022 after reports that Trump during his first term allegedly flushed some presidential records down the toilet when he was still in the White House and brought presidential records, including sensitive classified documents, to his home in Mar-a-Lago.
What happened with the charges against Trump?
Some of those documents eventually led to criminal charges being filed against Trump in June 2023 by special counsel Jack Smith.
After Trump was reelected in November 2024, Smith dropped the charges under a binding Justice Department policy that prohibits pursuing criminal prosecutions against sitting presidents.
The FBI asked the court to authorize withholding the records under an exemption, which includes “records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that production of such law enforcement records or information could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings.”
The judge found the documents could still be released because there are no law enforcement proceedings against Trump.
It’s not clear exactly what type of investigative materials the order might make public or if any of them will shed new light on allegations that Trump flushed documents down the toilet.
What happened with the remaining appeal in the case?
Meanwhile, a federal appeals court on Tuesday, Feb. 11 dismissed the case against Trump’s valet and property manager, accused of helping him hide classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home.
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The move comes after the Justice Department decided to drop its appeal in the case against the two men.
[Karah Rucker]
F-B-I RECORDS FROM THE MAR-A-LAGO CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS INVESTIGATION WILL SOON BE RELEASED DESPITE THE DISMISSAL OF THE CASE AGAINST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES AFTER A U-S DISTRICT JUDGE RULED THE F-B-I MUST DISCLOSE MORE INFORMATION RELATED TO THE CASE BY FEBRUARY 20TH.
THE JUDGE’S DECISION STEMS FROM A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT CASE BROUGHT BY JOURNALIST JASON LEOPOLD.
LEOPOLD FILED A REQUEST WITH THE F-B-I IN 2022 AFTER REPORTS THAT TRUMP DURING HIS FIRST TERM “ALLEGEDLY FLUSHED SOME PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS DOWN THE TOILET WHEN HE WAS STILL IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND BROUGHT PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS, INCLUDING SENSITIVE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS, TO HIS HOME IN MAR-A-LAGO.
SOME OF THOSE DOCUMENTS EVENTUALLY LED TO CRIMINAL CHARGES BEING FILED AGAINST TRUMP IN JUNE 2023 BY THE SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH.
AFTER TRUMP WAS RE-ELECTED IN NOVEMBER, SMITH DROPPED THE CHARGES UNDER A BINDING JUSTICE DEPARTMENT POLICY WHICH PROHIBITS PURSUING CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS AGAINST SITTING PRESIDENTS.
THE F-B-I ASKED THE COURT TO AUTHORIZE WITHHOLDING THE RECORDS UNDER AN EXEMPTION, WHICH INCLUDES “RECORDS OR INFORMATION COMPILED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES, BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT PRODUCTION OF SUCH LAW ENFORCEMENT RECORDS OR INFORMATION…COULD REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO INTERFERE WITH ENFORCEMENT PROCEEDINGS.”
THE JUDGE FOUND THE DOCUMENTS COULD STILL BE RELEASED BECAUSE THERE ARE NO LAW ENFORCEMENT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST TRUMP.
IT’S NOT CLEAR EXACTLY WHAT TYPE OF INVESTIGATIVE MATERIALS THE ORDER MIGHT MAKE PUBLIC OR IF ANY OF THEM WILL ACTUALLY SHED NEW LIGHT ON ALLEGATIONS THAT TRUMP FLUSHED DOCUMENTS DOWN THE TOILET.
MEANWHILE, A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT ON TUESDAY DISMISSED THE CASE AGAINST TRUMP’S VALET AND PROPERTY MANAGER, ACCUSED OF HELPING HIM HIDE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS AT HIS MAR-A-LAGO HOME.
THE MOVE COMES AFTER THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT DECIDED TO DROP ITS APPEAL IN THE CASE AGAINST THE TWO MEN.
FOR SAN I’M KARAH RUCKER.
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