'Extensive Communications': Trump Drops Bombshell Evidence About Biden WH, Jack Smith in Classified Docs Case
Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers told the federal judge overseeing his classified documents case that there were “extensive communications” among special counsel Jack Smith’s office, the White House, the Department of Justice and the National Archives and Records Administration before their client’s indictment.
Journalist Julie Kelly, who covered the Wednesday hearing presided over by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Miami, wrote on social media afterward that it included “bombshell revelations,” one of which was “‘years’ worth of security footage” from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.
Further, she wrote, there was evidence of “‘extensive communications’ btw White House, NARA, intel agencies and DOJ/Jack Smith prior to indictment to determine which files to include.”
I’ll post a story soon but some bombshell revelations:
• Trove of evidence includes “years” worth of security footage from MAL
•Evidence of “extensive communications” btw White House, NARA, intel agencies and DOJ/Jack Smith prior to indictment to determine which files to…
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) November 1, 2023
Kelly reiterated on X on Wednesday, “To emphasize: Trump’s lawyers told Judge Cannon this afternoon they have evidence that the Biden White House collaborated with NARA, DOJ, and intel agencies to determine which documents to include in Jack Smith’s indictment.”
To emphasize: Trump’s lawyers told Judge Cannon this afternoon they have evidence that the Biden White House collaborated with NARA, DOJ, and intel agencies to determine which documents to include in Jack Smith’s indictment.
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) November 1, 2023
Just the News reported in August 2022 — the month the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago — that the Biden White House worked directly with the Justice Department and the National Archives to instigate the criminal probe into Trump.
Contemporaneous government documents obtained by the news outlet showed “White House Deputy Counsel Jonathan Su was engaged in conversations with the FBI, DOJ and National Archives as early as April.”
“By May, Su conveyed to the Archives that President Joe Biden would not object to waiving his predecessor’s claims to executive privilege, a decision that opened the door for DOJ to get a grand jury to issue a subpoena compelling Trump to turn over any remaining materials he possessed from his presidency,” Just the News said.
On May 10, 2022, acting National Archivist Debra Steidel Wall sent Trump’s lawyers a letter noting the White House’s involvement.
“On April 11, 2022, the White House Counsel’s Office — affirming a request from the Department of Justice supported by an FBI letterhead memorandum — formally transmitted a request that NARA provide the FBI access to the 15 boxes for its review within seven days, with the possibility that the FBI might request copies of specific documents following its review of the boxes,” Wall wrote Trump attorney Evan Corcoran.
She explained that the White House counsel further informed her that Biden empowered her to determine whether to uphold Trump’s claim of executive privilege.
“I have therefore decided not to honor the former President’s ‘protective’ claim of privilege,” Wall wrote.
Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz could not believe the Biden White House felt it could waive Trump’s executive privilege.
“I was very surprised,” Dershowitz told Just the News after reading Wall’s letter. “The current president should not be able to waive the executive privilege of a predecessor, without the consent of the former president. Otherwise, [privilege] means nothing. What president will ever discuss anything in private if he knows the man who beat him can and will disclose it?”
On Wednesday, Kelly also noted the May 20, 2024, start date for Trump’s classified documents trial may get pushed back.
“Just left classified docs case hearing in Judge Cannon courtroom,” she wrote. “She will consider a modified trial schedule given numerous issues including voluminous discovery, discovery delays, late delivery of secure location to review evidence and Trump’s conflicting trial schedules.”
NEW: Just left classified docs case hearing in Judge Cannon courtroom. She will consider a modified trial schedule given numerous issues including voluminous discovery, discovery delays, late delivery of secure location to review evidence and Trump’s conflicting trial schedules.
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) November 1, 2023
Cannon told the attorneys, “I’m just having a hard time seeing how realistically this work can be accomplished in this compressed period of time, given the realities that we’re facing,” according to Politico.
Trump’s legal team wants the trial delayed until after next year’s November election.
“Proceeding to trial during the pendency of a Presidential election cycle wherein opposing candidates are effectively (if not literally) directly adverse to one another in this action will create extraordinary challenges in the jury selection process and limit the Defendants’ ability to secure a fair and impartial adjudication,” the lawyers wrote in a July court filing.
On Wednesday, Trump’s lawyers told Cannon that preparing for the special counsel’s election interference case, scheduled to begin in Washington in March, would get in the way of prepping for the documents case in May.
The election interference trial could go on for months, the lawyers argued, bumping right into the documents case in May if the current start date stands.
Altogether, Trump is facing 91 felony indictments brought by Smith as well as Democratic prosecutors in New York City and Fulton County, Georgia.
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