Betraying America

 I am astounded. And I am almost speechless. I am worried. I am very frightened.

We recently learned that the FBI has recovered 11 sets of classified documents from the palatial estate of the former president of the United States. Some of these documents reportedly relate to nuclear weapons. 

As a former federal employee who had high level security clearances, there is no doubt in my mind that if any of us peons had walked out of the office with boxes of highly classified documents, we would have been behind bars. No questions asked. To think that the former president of the United States had in his possession some 27 boxes of sensitive materials is beyond imagination.

The search warrant that allowed the FBI to search the mansion for these materials reported they were looking for items related to espionage, obstruction of justice, and destruction of documents.

We already know of the former president's shady dealings with the government of Saudi Arabia, a country eager to get its hands on nuclear technology. And the former guy's (TFG) cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin, the dictator of Russia, is well known.

At this point there are far more questions than answers. Why were these documents in storage at the Florida estate? Who had access to them? What, if anything, has been done with them before they were seized by the FBI? Who helped TRG gather the documents?

As expected, TFG’s supporters are outraged, but not at his apparent illegal activities in taking and keeping classified materials. No, they are outraged that the FBI dared to investigate an apparent illegal activity. FBI employees and FBI facilities are under increasing threats.

And for his part, TFG and his minions are doing what they always do when he gets caught doing something illegal or suspicious. They lie. They hurl insults. They blame everybody else but themselves. First they said the FBI planted these items in the mansion. No, the FBI did not plant anything in the mansion. Then they claimed TFG‘s lawyers weren’t present. Wrong. At least one of his attorneys was present. Then they claimed they had no idea what was going on. Another lie. TFG and his family watched the investigation via the mansion’s closed circuit television. Then they claimed all the Justice Department had to do was ask for the return of the documents. Another lie. The Justice Department had been negotiating with the TFG legal team for several months, and no cooperation was to be seen. And since when does the DOJ negotiate with people? If I was suspected of having classified documents in my house, do you really believe the DOJ would negotiate with me for their return?

It is still very early in the investigation. The FBI still needs to review all those boxes of classified materials to determine exactly what they contain. Charges, if appropriate, will need to be filed and a trial held to determine guilt or innocence. 

But regardless of which side of the political aisle one belongs, shouldn't we all, as Americans who care about our country, be extremely concerned that a former president apparently took highly classified materials to his private residence? And despite what he claims, he cannot just say "presto chango these documents are now declassified." Documents can be declassified, but there is a lenghtly, involved process. It simply cannot be done on a whim.

Quite simply, there is no plausible reason for TFG to have boxes of classified materials in his residence. He is, not, as he has claimed, "working from home" to benefit the country. TFG never does anything to benefit anybody other than himself.

I hope that when the dust settles on this investigation and judgment passed – – and there may well be additional search warrants issued – – a certain bloated, orange skinned, obese sociopath is finally brought to justice.