DOJ Admits to Evidence Tampering in Trump's Classified Documents Case

Key Evidence Altered in Trump's Case

On Friday, Special Counsel Jack Smith's team confessed that crucial evidence in the case concerning Trump's classified documents had been manipulated or altered. This left two different timelines; one that was digitally scanned and the other that was physically present in the boxes.

Smith Misleads the Court

Smith initially misled U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon by asserting that the boxes remained "in their original, intact form as seized." However, they later admitted in a footnote that they had removed classified documents and replaced them with placeholder sheets. This action has resulted in an "inconsistent" record, where some documents are no longer in the same order as they appear in the digital scans made in the fall of 2022.

Review Ordered by Cannon

This revelation comes after Cannon ordered a review to determine whether the FBI may have seized legally privileged records following a request from Trump's co-defendant, Walt Nauta.

Document Organization Crucial to Trump's Defense

The organization of the documents in storage boxes at Mar-a-Lago is expected to be a significant part of Trump's defense. His team is likely to argue that the documents were stored in the White House in chronological order on the days that Trump received them. They will likely argue that staff simply boxed them up and sent them to his home without him accessing them or knowing they contained classified information.

Legal Experts on Evidence Tampering

Several legal experts have suggested that the court filing essentially admits to evidence tampering, which could pose a problem. Alan Dershowitz told Just the News that "prosecutors and investigators should never tamper with or alter evidence in their possession."

Smith's Team's Explanations

The prosecution offered several explanations for the manipulated evidence, including the fact that the boxes were accessed multiple times and the size and shape of certain items in the boxes could have led to movement of items.

Previous Political Scandals with Altered Evidence

Altered evidence has been a prominent feature in previous political scandals. The erasure of an 18 1/2 minute segment of Richard Nixon’s White House tapes became a significant aspect of the Watergate scandal. The Iran-Contra scandal exploded during the Reagan years with the revelation that documents were shredded before they could be obtained by investigators. The Hillary Clinton classified email scandal became more complicated in 2015 with the revelation that her team used a "Bleach Bit" program to erase emails on her secret computer server, and had email devices destroyed.

Defendants Plead Not Guilty

As the Epoch Times notes, the case was brought against President Trump and others over their alleged violation of federal law in handling documents marked classified. Defendants have pleaded not guilty.

Trump's Team Calls for Dismissal of Case

In a recent filing, President Trump’s team said that the case should be dismissed because prosecutors are motivated by “improper political animus.” Prosecutors opposed the dismissal request but their opposition was filed under seal.

What's Your Take?

This case is certainly a complex one, with implications for both the legal and political arenas. What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you think there was evidence tampering, and if so, what should be the consequences? Share this article with your friends and let's get a conversation started. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered to your inbox everyday at 6pm.