Brunswick Beacon, 06.15.23
Representative David Rouzer dismissed Donald Trump’s indictment for violating the Espionage Act as “a political prosecution.” Bill Barr, Trump’s attorney general, called that idea “ridiculous.” Barr said, “It’s a very detailed indictment. And it’s very, very damning. If even half of it is true, then he’s toast.”
Paragraph 1 of the indictment says Trump took “the most sensitive classified documents and national defense information gathered and owned by the United States government.” They detailed “United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.” (Paragraph 3.) Trump doesn’t deny it. He brazenly said, “I took what I took.”
Trump stored them in a bathroom, a shower stall, his office, his bedroom, a storage room, and a ballroom. (Paragraph 5.) Before the FBI recovered them, they were vulnerable to “tens of thousands of guests” who attended over “150 social events, including weddings, movie premieres, and fundraisers” at Mar-a-Lago. (Paragraph 11.)
Trump showed a “plan of attack” and a “military map” to unauthorized civilians without security clearance. Trump called them “highly confidential” and “secret,” adding, “as president I could have declassified it. Now I can’t, you know, but this is still a secret.” He told a representative of his political action committee he “should not be showing it to the representative and that the representative should not get too close.” (Paragraph 6.)
Trump pressured his attorney to remove any incriminating documents before returning the rest to investigators. (Paragraphs 55 and 66.) Trump encouraged his attorney to lie to investigators: “Wouldn’t it be better if we just told them we don’t have anything here? Isn’t it better if there are no documents?” (Paragraph 54.)
Rouzer voted against certifying the 2020 election and against investigating the Jan. 6 Insurrection. His repeated refusal to hold a twice-impeached, twice-indicted sexual abuser accountable to the rule of law violates Rouzer’s oath of office.
Vince Amoroso
Sunset Beach
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