In this episode of “Justice Be Damned, Full Speed Ahead With Lawfare,” House Judiciary Committee Democrats are pressing already-disgraced Attorney General Merrick Garland to release a report detailing Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents.
According to a report by Politico, Democrats are urging Garland to release a second report on Trump’s alleged mishandling and concealment of said documents — even if it means dropping charges against the former president’s alleged accomplices. This reinforces what many believe: Democrats are determined to undermine Trump at any cost as he prepares to begin his second term in office.
Ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), wrote in a letter obtained by Politico:
“It is essential that the American people and Congress understand how Mr. Trump mishandled our nation’s most sensitive classified information, especially because he will be sworn in as Commander-in-Chief and take leadership of our national security apparatus in just five days.”
Raskin’s letter is hardly surprising, given the November election results, which dealt a heavy blow to the Democrats’ long-standing obsession with bringing down Trump.
Dishonest Democrats from Nancy Pelosi to Adam Schiff and Chuck Schumer have repeatedly sought to torpedo Trump. From two contentious impeachment trials to lawsuits and investigations by the Justice Department and Special Counsel Jack Smith, to Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis’s controversial case, Democrats have exhausted every avenue — with little success.
Notably, the Democrats’ latest push follows Garland’s recent indication that he intends to keep Smith’s report on Trump’s classified documents case under wraps, citing the need to protect the integrity of ongoing cases against Trump’s co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case against Trump in July, ruling that Smith’s appointment was illegal. When Trump’s election win rendered further prosecutions impractical, Smith dropped the case against Trump while pursuing charges against Nauta and De Oliveira. Trump’s incoming Justice Department is expected to shelve the matter altogether.
The anticipated report on Smith’s decision to charge Trump is expected to shed light on allegations of “hoarding a massive trove of military secrets” at Mar-a-Lago and attempting to obstruct efforts to recover them. Democrats have long pointed to the case as one of Trump’s greatest political liabilities.
In a report released Tuesday, Smith stood by his decision to pursue criminal charges, calling Trump’s alleged actions an “unprecedented criminal effort.” Smith wrote:
“The throughline of all of Mr. Trump’s criminal efforts was deceit — knowingly false claims of election fraud — and the evidence shows that Mr. Trump used these lies as a weapon to defeat a federal government function foundational to the United States’ democratic process.”
Smith continued:
“On the day I was appointed, I pledged that I would exercise independent judgment, follow the best traditions of the Department of Justice, and conduct my work expeditiously and thoroughly to reach whatever outcome the facts and law dictated.”
Whether Smith was earnest or cynical in making that pledge is up for debate. However, what remains clear is that the Democrats’ years-long quest to destroy Trump continues unabated, even as he prepares to retake office.
