Lawyers representing Donald Trump said for the first time that the former president could be ‘exposed to criminal charges’ over taking classified documents to Mar-a-Lago.

 

 

Remember when Trump claimed that he had in place a protocol meaning that any files he removed from the Oval Office were ‘automatically declassified?’

His lawyers are now arguing that Trump might be left at a ‘legal disadvantage if he answered questions about the supposed declassification system at this stage of the process.’

They argued against some of the requests made by the government and the special master, arguing it could ‘jeopardize any future legal action.’ We take this to mean he could incriminate himself.

 

The most serious charge Trump faces — so far — is violating the Espionage Act, which states that it is a crime to  “willfully” retain certain national security information that “the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation,” rather than turning that information over to an “officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it.”