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While I agree with you concerning the fact the law would mean he would be ineligible to hold future office, and I am convinced that he did in fact remove and conceal sensitive documents (that were not “declassified” as per his claim), it is unnecessary to attempt to “trump” up the evidencePlease note if Trump were convicted of willfully and unlawfully removing government documents, he would be legally prohibited from holding any office under the United States, including the Presidency,
18 U.S. Code § 2071 - Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally
Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
(b)
Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States.. As used in this subsection, the term “office” does not include the office held by any person as a retired officer of the Armed Forces of the United States.
Since there is indisputable photographic evidence of Trump's mishandling of top-secret documents strewn about the floor of his office at Mar-A-Lago, we should expect Trump to be legally convicted of mishandling government documents thereby lawfully prohibiting him from being the P,O.T,U.S..
By law there would have to be evidence or witness testimony that specific documents could be found at any specific property. Warrants can't be fishing expeditions. This is why the affidavit for the search warrant was redacted, because the FBI did not want to reveal who spilled the beans on Trump. Apparently someone gave testimony that the classified documents were at Mar-a-lago and this was the basis of the search warrant.
Some were found in boxes and some were found in Trump's desk. I suspect these items being in his desk removes any doubt that he did not know about them. The claim that it was staffers who were careless in asking boxes will be questioned. The staffers would know that Top Secret means these are not Trump's. So if it comes down to staffers being indicted for removing these items I am willing to guess they will not be willing to go to prison for Trump. It only takes one to say that Trump asked them to pack these documents. The staffers might have protection since Trump was still president and had certain authority to handle these documents. The crime began once Trump's term was over and he refused to turn over these documents.
Fair points and I agree.
Oh yeah, Trump will be indicted.
I can see a scenario that the FBI makes a case that documents re missing from folders and there needs to be a broader search for critical national security documents. In this case I can see a justified search since there was indeed contraband collected at Mar-a-lago already, so that is due cause. The reporting I've seen says that officials are examining the collected documents and assessing what is missing, and trying to see if those documents can be found where they are supposed to be. It could be a case where documents were returned to the people in charge of these secure documents but without the cover sheets, and Trump kept the cover sheets only. So that is surely a huge priority, because it they were not recovered from Trump and in some other box, and they are not in secure locations, then where are they?
I don't think he's going to be president no matter which way the winds blow anyways.
By now, Trump would've secreted any other
Law enforcement should obtain and execute search warrants if, and only if, they have good reason to believe there is some evidence of criminality to be found. If the FBI have reason to believe there is further illegal held material at any of Trump's properties they could, and probably would, execute more searches. If they don't, they shouldn't and, I expect, wouldn't.