Leftist journalist Jason Leopold filed a FOIA lawsuit against the DOJ/FBI a few years ago, seeking the documents and background material assembled by the DOJ, FBI and Special Counsel Jack Smith in the Mar-a-Lago documents case. With the Mar-a-Lago case against Trump dismissed by a Florida judge, and effectively dropped by Special Counsel Jack Smith. The justification for withholding the responsive material is no longer valid.
This has resulted in anti-Trump U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, now ruling that anti-Trump journalist Jason Leopold should be given the FOIA documents by the FBI and DOJ. [Ruling pdf here]. Essentially, Howell is saying, angrily, that with President Trump immune from criminal liability (SCOTUS immunity decision), the only public recourse for accountability is sunlight from within the evidence the FBI assembled.
Here is where it gets interesting.
The DOJ/FBI Special Counsel, previously said to the Florida court they would not reveal the content of the information because it was “classified” under “national security” grounds. You might remember President Trump’s legal position was to make the content public because Trump said there was no classified material.
To reconcile the issue, during discovery phase Florida Judge Cannon appointed a Special Master to review the “classified” documents. The FBI and Jack Smith balked at the demand and filed an appeal with the 11th Circuit to keep the Trump defense from reviewing what Jack Smith said were “documents marked classified.” Smith didn’t want the documents made public or revealed to President Trump, so the DOJ/FBI position was that the documents were too sensitive (TSCI) with “national security” implications.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the government position that any documents defined as “classified” by the executive branch (now Biden) that claimed, “national security,” should not be disclosed to the defendant, Trump. The court of appeals essentially determined that all definitions by the executive branch, are not questionable by the judicial branch.
The bottom line was that President Trump’s legal team were never able to ascertain exactly what the “documents marked classified” actually were. That aspect of the case was pure Lawfare, and actually quite silly.
The DOJ was saying Trump had “documents with classification markings.” Trump saying, “no I didn’t have classified documents, but if true what where they?” And the DOJ saying, “we can’t tell you, that’s classified.” It was silly and never reconciled in part because the case was dismissed.
Well…. now Judge Beryl Howell is telling the DOJ/FBI to produce the “documents with classification markings,” and all surrounding information therein, to Jason Leopold, because Trump bad and the information will make the public hate him, or something [SEE Court Order]. But again, no-one knows what these “documents with classification markings” actually were…. Except, well, maybe us. We have well-based circumstantially supported suspicions. {see here}
Will the Trump DOJ (now Pam Bondi) and the Trump FBI (likely Kash Patel) release the files and material to Jason Leopold, as demanded by Judge Howell?
I think there’s a strong possibility they will, which then begs the question:
….If the documents were of such critical national security value, then why would the “documents with classification markings” be released under the auspices of a simple FOIA claim?
lolol… See the stupidity of it?
The “Documents with classification markings” were of such devastating content, such that the DOJ protected them from visibility even by a security cleared special master; and then fought the release of the documents to the Trump defense – who was charged with defending Trump against the accusation that surrounded them; where the DOJ even fought the release of the “documents with classification markings” all the way to the 11th CCA to keep them hidden; well, then how the heck do those documents get released by a simple Freedom of Information Act request by a journalist?
Judge Beryl Howell never attempts to reconcile that issue in her order.
Sometimes Lawfare can be a little funny when it is argued by leftists, in courts controlled by leftists, with leftist judges, with inherent hypocrisy that surrounds the concept of leftist Lawfare. I would love to see Eric A Dubelier Esq write about this (lol).
Bottom line, I have a strong suspicion this order, intended to create an anti-Trump narrative, is going to boomerang once the public see the “Documents with classification markings.”
Let’s see what happens.
President Trump should fight this. Loudly. Regularly. Then, sigh, just give in.
Agree Sundance and you wrote something fascinating and compelling in the last sentence of paragraph 6.
You said:
“The court of appeals essentially determined that all definitions by the executive branch, are not questionable by the judicial branch.”
So, then the very recent actions by Obama appointee Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, Obama appointee District Court Judge Kenneth J. Gonzales, GW Bush appointee US District Judge Joseph Laplante, Obama appointee Judge John McConnell, amongst others, are null and void, right?
I know you used the word definitions and not decisions, but did Judge Howell actually defend the separation of powers then and unwittingly acknowledge the rightful authority of Trump today, as a president?
Hell, what do I know…I’m a C+ in a public high school grad.
Brilliant.
You see the forest thru the trees! Can’t get better than that .
This whole episode of woke judges has had me screaming for someone, anyone, to make things make sense – and CTH is the place to find it.
we have prayed fervently about this action. And we remain unafraid by the results. even if it brings pain in big amounts.
the truth is such. it may delight some, and spoil others, but like gravity..its brings us all to the basis of a reality designed explicitly for human beings..BY GOD
I believe these things to be true.
I am not alone
God Bless America
We can always count on Sundance to make the senseless make sense…
The woke judges, and there are far too many, violate the Judicial Code of Conduct EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY!
They all forgot to read that decision. Or they did, and always plant to thwart the rule of Law anyway because they are enemies of We The People. We need some of them to be arrested, tried and convicted for Sedition
You’d be a Rhodes Scholar by today’s standards.
even the news of yesterday.
we are agile..because we search for truth..fleeting, yet approachable with the right spirit
THAT DWELLS IN OUR SOULS.
God Bless America
I would have been a Rhodes Scholar except for my grades.
Same here. So I became a Roads Scholar.
I’m certain that at the time of the score, you were wondering WHY?
there is certain truth about being more than just curious…to buck the “system”, to question the norm, becoming closer to self and confidence….defines a man. and a woman. and yes, the child.
free speech you see, is so much more than just speech and utterly words to “get the grade”
defiance, by it search, is this innate character of man…imperfect, incomplete, yes, but searching.
searching ..searching.
not beholden to old truths…not capture by the system of status and quo.
when we ask things out loud and that we protest against things that just do not seem correct, we express that which we are.
perfect strangers to a truth
God Bless AmericANS for engaging this ancient wonder. the miracle of God Manifest exists in each of us. That we not toil away at simple conclusion…but test EVERYTHING.
FIGHT AGAINST THE FLESH…It will fail u, abandon your soul/
fight for TRUTH, and like lion, you become the master of the safari
God Bless America
Sir!
You wrote the most inspiring truthful words I have read in years.
“FIGHT AGAINST THE FLESH…It will fail u, abandon your soul/”
Thank you!
Thank you Regitiger… your wisdom has been a blessing to many here and these words now mean a great deal to me.
In the mid-70’s my public highschool civics teacher in rural Minnesota said during one class, “There are only two reasons for a government… protect us from them and protect me from you.”
I immediately knew how profound his words were…just like I did your nationally recognized analysis of the timeline of Congressional conduct and actions on J6.
Common Sense.
I noticed that also and was about to post it.
“The court of appeals essentially determined that all definitions by the executive branch, are not questionable by the judicial branch.”
It’s almost like the Leftist radical Marxist/Communist judges are pretending to not know the actual LAW and what’s in the United States Constitution. They can’t seem to keep their messaging, via Judicial decree, straight. They are unwittingly canceling each other out.
Einstein dropped out of high school at 15…one’s degree is decidedly NOT an estimation of one’s intelligence.
Well said and you know a lot about common sense….which is the basis of all the MAGA policies.Howell seems to acknowledge the Supreme Court ruling on plenary and other powers of the executive branch vested, solely in the president.
There is no way to skirt the issue, the judges you mention are rogue and Howell knows it. She is trying to save her neck or she doesn’t realize the Pandora’s Box of docs that she is opening that will go against the deep state.
More “own goals” and unforced errors by The Blob. The panic is palpable. 😁
Why???
All the bought off Judges/Activists have been enlisted to serve the Communist order via continued Insubordination and Anti Constitutional Acts.
The sooner these potted plants are dug out and burned up in a invasive weeds compost pile, the better
Robert Barnes is discussing. They may be forcing SCOTUS to act.
https://rumble.com/v6jae4s-ep.-250-usaid-money-laundering-doge-madness-judicial-corruption-and-more-vi.html
Its live but it can be rewound.
These anti America, anti Constitution judges, each one a Democrat donor I’ll bet, have been sent to “kill” the king.
I’m sure the king’s men on lookout and the king himself knew they’d be coming and have planned accordingly to strike at a time of their choosing.
May their legal cannons decimate these ignorant judicial upstarts who are in effect holding the Republic hostage to their partisan political agendas (and those who have given them their orders) quickly.
Hold…hold…FIRE!!
And then?
To the tower with them all.
Enough.
You won the bet. make no mistakes, even if not paid silver, these people decide on the basis of bloodsport…the invitation of self enrichment. Silver.
I believe in none of those things. I believe in a truth that lords over all of us. That is my God, my God.
God Bless America
President Trump has said often that his belief and faith have strengthened. I’m sure he feels the hand of Almighty God on his shoulder as he continues on his mission to weed out corrupt forces, parasites draining the life blood from the country he loves.
I think your truth he would claim as his as well.
Amen, my dear regitiger.
an old Willie Nelson quote from the movie “Songwriter” has resonated with me ever since I first heard it. ” I do it out of love but I’m not above the money”
I agree wholeheartedly, especially, “to the Tower with them all”
Alina Habba was on FOX yesterday and said that the best and brightest legal minds reviewed every single EO and administrative step well before they were executed. She also said they fully expected these lawsuits against President Trump’s actions and are prepared to defend them.
PDJT would not take any actions that he thought would fail. He is after all a WINNER!
President Trump did not come up with EOs on January 20th. A lot of thought and legal review went into them. THAT Is going to be their undoing. They still think they are dealing with January 2017 President Trump.
Their other undoing fault – supreme arrogance, hubris and uncontrollable hatred for Donald John Trump. It renders them blind to reason and caution.
Four pre- third term years not wasted, T.
If we give it some thought, President Trump was working hard on all of what we are seeing, not knowing if he would be able to beat the corrupt forces which deprived him of a 2020 victory.
It could have all been for nought.
If that doesn’t define his fervent love for this country, I don’t know what else could.
yep but he had a supporting cast that had fire in their belly. My hunch is Baron played a bigger role than we know, Don Jr gave us Vance, thanks be to Turning Point for helping Jr and PDJT. and that’s off the top of my head – He truly is surrounded by an A team.
Today the bullet point was black preachers oking street violence – better think that thru, you really water to play showdown with PDJT lol
Ever notice the bought off Judges are Lefties?
Oh, I don’t know, seems to me there are many bought off judges on both partisan wings of the judicial vulture as well as some ‘free greed grazing’ nonpartisan judges<grins>.
No question…and here I have to correct myself. One of the judges who seems to not unddrstand the Constitution, has delusions of overarching power (probably both) was appointed by President Trump in his first term. But as. he was advised on which to appoint, I don’t doubt one or two rogue ones slipped through.
Death rattle…
Extinction bursts.
If we can’t have the wrecking ball, how about the Zippo lighter…
Ha, yeah we already know a document with “unclassified” stamped on it has “classification markings” on it.
👆 👆 👆
do we doubt their potential for producing forged documents?
You can’t remove the classification stamp, only can un-classify it!
Lawfare has become “the gift that keeps on giving” for US and MAGA.
And, a albatross, tied around their neck that they can’t get rid of, no matter how much it stinks ..
I like your thinking Dutchman…nothing is working for the Lawfare crews, the Dems, the Progressive/Liberals, the Soros/Davos crowd…nothing. This is the Divine Providence of a powerful and loving God.
All of their screeching to actually Stop Audits to save this country $Trillions in waste, fraud, and abuse is going to make for some excellent MAGA campaign video in 2026.
Include in that video the umpty cases of Dem politicians campaigning on ‘We’re gonna balance the budget by identifying and eliminating waste and fraud ….
Bet they can find some with Chuckie doing that!
LOLOLOLOLOL!!!
Chuckie? Oh, you mean Schmuckie Schemer. 😄
And yet they just keep on trying more lawfare BS. They just cannot help themselves, LOLOLOL!!
Demonrats have been digging their own graves forever. Everything they do is self-chiseled on their own tombstones, but they’re too stupid to know it.
I always wondered why they said “documents with classification markings”. Why not just say classified material? I kept thinking to myself that maybe the bulk of them were UNCLAS, which is indeed a classification marking, but is not classified confidential or above.
Typical word games.
“The Court of Appeals essentially determined that all definitions by the executive branch, are not questionable by the judicial branch.”
Shouldn’t that apply NOW?
Yes but POTUS is now forcing SCOTUS to make an official ruling to settle the precedent. It won’t stop the Left but it’ll slow them down until they can stack SCOTUS or replace justices to obtain a progressive 5 justice (or more) majority.
Look over there, NOT over here.
The lawfare crew is not as smart as they would like us to believe. Appreciate the read and schooling in all things corrupt.
Maybe. Lawfare is the process as punishment template. These people are “time thieves”. Even if the lawfare is eventually quashed, the theft of time, energy, and assets are real.
All lawfare regardless of outcomes is successful lawfare.
Of course, the corrupt FBI could always insert new documents that Trump never possessed to frame him for something new. Never underestimate these crooks.
Perhaps, BUT….
I wouldn’t underestimate President Trump and/or Attorney General Bondi.
They know what’s in those documents.
Agreed on the former. The latter has much to prove before I give her any credit.
Bondi… Not a single conservative talking head or pundit reminded Americans about Bondi and Zimmerman, but here. She has a lot prove.
All the documents visible in that famous Mar-a-Lago “documents on the floor” photo were documents (coversheets) that the FBI brought with them.
Tampering with evidence used to be a crime. Make Prosecutions Great Again!
Buying judges used to be a crime.
Yes, cover sheets are used to keep from viewing the classified document, and each page of a document is stamped with its particular classification.
Unclassified or FOUO (for official use only) are also designators. One document can have classified and unclassified material, hence the marking of each page.
The Golden Boomerang.
The Blonde Blur of Doom.
<The Blonde Blur of Doom.>
What a coincidence…
That was my girlfriend’s nickname in high school 🙂
You too?
I think I knew her before you did.
Huh, funny, that’s what I was known as 😉😄
How hard would it be for an organization like the FBI to create “documents with classified markings” that reflect poorly on PDJT or proves some wild allegation like Russia! Russia! Russia!
There’s an axiom among trial lawyers that says, “Never ask a question if you don’t know the answer.”
I sure hope PDJT is playing some bigger game if he goes along with the FBI releasing these documents.
Fodder for anti Trump media and shifty Schiff to twist, fabricate and spout.
Bring on the boomerang.
N/M
Temporarily Wordless Man. (Not copyrighted)
The FBI has lost all creditability.
The whole judicial system has lost all creditability.
The media has lost all creditability.
The institutions of government have lost all creditability.
The people are genuinely pissed and will become non-compliant on taxes and more.
Perhaps that is why they are moving to a total control system.
Helping democrats shoot them selves in the foot. Idiocracy in action.
Help them point the gun to their brains!
It gets tiring seeing people in authority not making sense.
Bless Donald Trump’s heart for trying to work within the system, to get the other two branches of govt to step up and take responsibility for the messes they’ve made;
obviously the judicial branch has gone full 3rd world stupid and there appear to be no adults in the room of judiciary willing to step up and deal with this mess.
And McConnell is a far cry from Big Balls!
That’s why he has become a eunuch!
Big jowls
Turkey neck.
When a document has markings on it that say “Classified” and then subsequently gets “Declassified” does not mean that people run around with White Out covering up the word “classified”.
That word remains on the document. So, that is why Lawfare claimed that the documents laying around had “classified markings” thus implying that they were still classified when, in fact, they weren’t.
But it sounds good and worthy of a spy movie.
The DS bastards knew what they were doing then…but our God, the True God, is using Trump and his Wolverines to bring vengeance. For the women and children…thank you God!
Triple Bingo! Classified markings are never removed! If it gets declassified, you no longer have to sign for it and it’s old news!
Classification markings only indicate the presence of some level of current or previous level of classification. They are still present, even after declassification.
Might be transmittal letters that are unclassified when detached from documents.
– classification markings are applied to these.
Might be ‘Controlled Unclassified Information’, for which a form of ‘classified markings’ are used.
Let us add this alleged Judge Beryl and Howell (pun intended) to the already growing JIL (Judge Impeachment Listing).
News flash judges: None of youse is God & it’s high time youse all start to larn that.
i hate how these judges seem to have our nation in a head-lock.
The DOJ and FBI ought to go ahead and release them all publicly before Leopold gets access. Tell Beryl to suck on an egg if she doesn’t like it. They were all declassified – DOJ and FBI need to make sure of the veracity of the documents provided.
Careful what you wish for and receive, Your Honor, Judge Howell!
Catch 22😂
“Let’s see what happens,” one of President Trump’s favorite sentences in the English language. 😉
Especially when he knows the outcome!
he should come out with a press conference and tell the american people.during my trial they kept all these docs as classified and we could not see them etc,well an foia wants em so here they are all of em and unredacted.and post them on the whitehouse website.
The only fly in the ointment is if these really are “documents with classified markings”, however we want to interpret that phrasing, and they were planted by the FBI, then I don’t think President Trump is going to release them and he is going to begin an investigation as to how those documents were supposedly found at Mar-a-Lago when he never took them there.
Then the rats will be scurrying.
what next… they put Jason Leopold in charge of the Treasury Department?
Reading about all these lawsuits is making me feel like we are right back where we were eight years ago and just like eight years ago the only people who seem to care about the grotesque behavior of the courts are the common people.
[slowly raising hand in the back of the room] But Trump is now President. Can’t he just order the DOJ to give all the documents to him directly and then, as President, just declare them all “declassified” and post it all on the White House web site? Why should this take more than a day?
“………..just declare them all “declassified” and post it all on the White House web site?”
Maybe it’s something to do with that old expression about not interrupting your enemy when they are in the process of destroying themselves. Instead, it’s much more productive to the end result (and more fun!) to just make some popcorn, sit back and relax, and enjoy the show.
Sort of like NYT trying to call RFK jr a liar for saying that our cereals had chemicals in them that Canadas did not. Then proceeding to list the actual different chemicals we had and they did not.
I told my friend during the frenzy of the last few years, “Our biggest weapon is these leftists lack of common sense.” And it’s struck true many many times. This will probably be another.
Given the recent court actions regarding Elon MusK and DOGE for instance, this is an interesting citation; “courts must exercise the traditional reluctance to intrude upon the authority of the Executive in military and national security affairs”. So fraud, illegality and misuse of funds in huge amounts are NOT national security issues?
Remember him fighting the media over those tax docs until finally he lost? The big bad info was so mundane it seemed not worth the stress.
This didn’t kick off on its own.
Who started the hare running? Who suggested to Leopold that this would be a good time to raise it and who suggested that this Judge was the person to use4?
Sounds like the judge is a DEI hire/appointment.
She’s the commie that bankrupted Rudy Giuliani.
148 million dollars to these corrupt dei hires.
Barrel is an apt name for her. Good job identifying your child, Barrel Seniors.
DOGE could redirect a like amount from USAID back to Rudy Giuliani from.. say.. transgender studies in Siberia.. to be dispensed as “humanitarian” aid to a victim of malicious lawfare.
I guess Mom is Madam Purple.
Big stupid indeed.
Do we understand from this that President Trump himself will finally see the full copy of the search warrant on Mar-A-Lago at the same time it is finally released in full to an enterprising journalist? That’s what it took to see it?
If they are “classified” then Andrew Weissmann, Joe Biden, et al cannot read this guy’s article. Anyone whose security clearance was removed has to promise not to look.
I don’t remember if the Special Master was allowed to see the documents and question if the Special Master was able to catalog the documents he/she had viewed. My fear is the FBI can and would put top secret documents in with what Trump had brought back to Mar-a-Lago
Why can’t Trump use the same national security grounds to ignore these activist judges?
At exactly the same time, release both of Biden’s trove of “Classified” documents. What’s good for one president is good for every president.
The coyote has ordered another crate of energetic material from the Acme Lawfare Company.
So, why is it that a leftist “journalist” gets FOIA request granted? It’s rhetorical of course. Will he selectively release stuff to make Trump look bad.
They can release it to Everyone, so that the little d-bag doesn’t have an exclusive.
Why can’t the House subpoena these judges to get discovery and under oath testimony on their ex parte decisions? Maybe same with getting subpoenas from Mary McCord, her husband, and the Lawfare group.
Because, unlike Musk, they don’t have “Big Balls” !
Counter point- The FBI wants this so they can plant false evidence.
“The “Documents with classification markings” were of such devastating content, such that the DOJ protected them from visibility even by a security cleared special master; and then fought the release of the documents to the Trump defense – who was charged with defending Trump against the accusation that surrounded them; where the DOJ even fought the release of the “documents with classification markings” all the way to the 11th CCA to keep them hidden; well, then how the heck do those documents get released by a simple Freedom of Information Act request by a journalist?
Judge Beryl Howell never attempts to reconcile that issue in her order.”
Then…perhaps PTrump could to assist her, in his own unique way.
At the next WH Press beating, Karoline Leavitt should very casually bring up this very discrepancy. She can very eloquently speak to both the glaring inconsistency of the Left’s thinking, then come in with the slam how Judge Howell has, perhaps unintentionally proved PTrump’s case correct.
She could then state the in the interest of transparency, PTrump will graciously release all the files requested through the FOIA…knowing it will make the Democrats look far worse for it.
But that’s only one way to deal with this, and he’s got…six ways to Sunday to beat them at this.
this ^^^^ plus 100.
100 more than take the opportunity to inject some public speech about this travesy.
remembering: the echo chambering of the Medios, repeating ad nauseam the screed made ready to invite anarch… Orange man bad, the Russia Russia lies and psyops. Fear, and loathing.
we have an answer to that.
facts
Let the facts FLY, like a black bird flying in the DEAD OF THE NIGHT.
all your life, you were just only waiting to arrive
take these sunken eyes and learn to fly
black bird fly.
black bird fly
black bird fly
into the night of the black dark night
(little birds singing greeting the new darn, as the sun rises to greet you..and to bring brilliance …God makes these things as miracles…to experience and to provide a rainbow of a different kind…a promise. I will never abandon my creation)
God Bless America
I like it! Great idea!
I hope that your idea gets passed on to PDJT and Karoline.
I wonder if some interested third party tries to “help” the judge understand that they fought release of the documents because doing so would help PDJT. And maybe she should reconsider.
We just had a different judge give standing to people who don’t possess it and subsequently rule that ONLY government employees can view “private” data. So I wouldn’t put it past Lawfare operatives to file a lawsuit to block the FOIA release…which is something they almost certainly want to stop from happening.
My bet is the reporter gets the 33 boxes of FOIA’d info, and then intentionally conflates the documents GSA gave to Trump with the documents DOJ asserted Trump took without their permission. (which has always been laughable…you can’t steal your own records…they’re your records)
In any case, I wonder how long it’ll take for some weird lawsuit to get filed to block the release. If I’m Patel/Bondi this is the PERFECT way to get information out to the public without becoming the targets of the media.
“Hey, you guys wanted this stuff and got a judge to order it. Take it up with her!”
So, basically, a crazy TDS infected judge, desperate to force the release of something she assumes will embarrass the President, just gave the DOJ an order to completely expose the entire Russiagate dossier, and she doesn’t even know what she did? 🤣🤣🤣
Another smug commie judge. Not a surprise.
https://nypost.com/2023/12/15/news/stefanik-hits-dc-judge-with-misconduct-complaint-over-jan-6-comments/
Why do they all look like that?
IKR? Sour prune juice face….
As Dorothy Parker once quipped, “Beauty may be skin deep, but ugly goes all the way to the bone!”
They all look like their father don’t they?
They’re demonic IMO, even if they think otherwise.
It’s part of their cult.
This is from 2023.
Yes it’s from December 2023.
Like watching the cat chase its tail. Or, what will the dog do when he finally catches the car?
Some fights are not worth fighting. Let the “Lawfare juice” just dribble out onto the floor. Its day is over.
They fought “disclosure” of these documents – including any revelation of exactly what they were – “as long as Orange Man Bad.™” Now, they want to reverse course and declare that they are public. Because: “Orange Man Bad.”
Just remember: the American people just said, “Orange Man not-so Bad after all.” Remember that, if you can.
The lawfare crooks need to be punished.