When he spoke to the media this afternoon to formally announce the indictment of former president Donald Trump on 37 charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents and obstruction of justice, Special Counsel Jack Smith urged Americans who wanted to know why the indictments had been handed down to read the document he had just given to the press.
Business Insider notes that Smith “urged Americans to read the more than 40-page indictment — which included counts related to the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice — “to understand the scope and the gravity of the crimes charged.”
If you do indeed decide to read the indictment, you’ll immediately notice the scope and breadth of the charges and the evidence the Justice Department used to obtain approval from a grand jury, including allegations that the disgraced ex-president oversaw the moving of boxes containing documents, failed to secure some of the most sensitive information in the American intelligence apparatus (including nuclear secrets and the names of undercover operatives who obtained the information), and Trump’s total disregard for national security, which may have already led to significant leaks of top secret documents to our adversaries and enemies.
Also in the indictment, on page 23, is what appears to be evidence that a female member of the Trump family was either involved in the effort to hide the documents or knew they were being hidden and failed to notify federal authorities. Both are a crime.
Here’s page 23:
Who could that family member be? It was most likely either former First Lady Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, or Lara Trump, the wife of Eric Trump. Note that it was a “Trump family member.” That certainly narrows down the possibilities.
It should also be noted that the woman may not have known what was in the boxes, but the fact that she served as a courier for a message from the former president does make her part of the larger conspiracy and criminal act, if only by accident.
Whoever the family member is, she’s also in serious legal jeopardy. Unless, of course, that person is now cooperating with Smith’s team of prosecutors.
As Special Counsel Smith urged today, we should all read the indictment. Not only to be fully informed, but also so we can have a better sense of just how deeply Donald Trump may have endangered our national security and what that means for us all in the long term.
