Politics
JUST IN: Judge Cannon’s Order Unsealing Evidence Reveals WH Lawyer’s Shocking Conspiracy With NARA
Critics of special counsel Jack Smith are now accusing the Biden Justice Department official of criminally conspiring with the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) during an investigation to obtain classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Investigative reporter Julie Kelly unearthed newly released documents in the case that indicate that a deputy to Smith may have given NARA special access to some of the records that prosecutors planned to use against former President Donald Trump. The disclosure comes just days after Florida’s U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ordered previous redactions requested by Smith to be removed.
In late September 2021, just as a referral to the DOJ was imminent, Deputy White House Counsel Jonathan Su asked one of President Trump’s coordinators for the probe to authorize a colleague to access notes taken in the final days of the Trump administration as staffers prepared the storage of classified materials. According to the unredacted document, Su intervened when Gary Stern, general counsel for the National Archives, attempted to provide a copy of the notes to Trump’s representative.
“[C]ould we discuss the process before anything is provided to him?” Su wrote to Stern, who agreed but said the request was “atypical” of most records-gathering efforts.
WATCH:
“One of Biden’s top WH lawyers conspired with NARA atty Stern to circumvent laws related to notification of holder of records (Trump) under Presidential Records Act. Now this is a legit criminal conspiracy…” Kelly wrote on X.
Rereading (again) unredacted motion in classified documents case.
One of Biden's top WH lawyers conspired with NARA atty Stern to circumvent laws related to notification of holder of records (Trump) under Presidential Records Act.
Now this is a legit criminal conspiracy… pic.twitter.com/LYLIgz6v1M
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) April 25, 2024
Other disclosures in the newly released documents indicate that the NARA’s referral to DOJ was handled in part by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland who upgraded the probe to a “full investigation.” Such an action would be at odds with multiple public statements by Garland who emphasized neither he nor the Biden White House would attempt to influence Smith’s investigation.
Decisions in the case have oscillated between victories for Trump and Smith, those legal observers tend to agree that Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee, has been generally more receptive to arguments by the president’s defense team.
In November, she scolded Smith for presenting a “broad and unconvincing theory” about why he should be allowed to withhold the identities of certain witnesses in the case. A start date for the trial remains an open matter, though it is expected to kick off this summer.
Smith has suffered a number of other setbacks in the case, including the withdrawal of key subpoenas, moving to throw Trump in jail, and attempting to hide evidence more than 1,000 miles away from the court. Some court observers believe a large chunk of his case could be ultimately dismissed. or extend past Election Day. If that were to happen, President Trump if victorious would have the power to dismiss the case against himself.
