China News Service, August 13. The US "Wall Street Journal" announced on the 12th a list of items taken away by the FBI in the search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, including 11 sets of classified documents.
At the same time, according to the search warrant unsealed by the court on the 12th, the FBI is investigating whether Trump is suspected of violating the Espionage Act and other crimes.
Trump claimed that the documents taken by the FBI were "decrypted" and stored securely.
But some experts are skeptical of Trump's claims.
Will Trump face jail time as investigation moves forward?
File photo: Trump.
FBI reveals list of items taken from Mar-a-Lago
According to the "Wall Street Journal" report on the 12th, documents show that FBI agents took about 20 boxes of items from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, including photos, handwritten notes, executive orders for Trump ally Roger Stone, related Information about the "President of France" and a search warrant granted by a federal judge in Florida.
The list of items also mentions 11 sets of classified documents, some of which are marked "top secret," meaning they can only be viewed in special government facilities.
The listing did not provide further details on the substance of the documents.
The documents also show that agents did not search private guest rooms at Mar-a-Lago.
Two senior U.S. government officials have previously revealed that the raid was largely based on information from an FBI informant who was able to determine which classified documents Trump was still hiding.
Data map: On August 10, local time, a demonstrator wearing a mask imitated former US President Trump outside Trump Tower in New York, USA.
In the past two days, demonstrators, reporters, onlookers and other people gathered in front of Trump Tower.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Liao Pan
Trump retorts: Documents have been decrypted and stored securely
However, Trump said in a statement that the documents found by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago "have been declassified" and stored securely, adding that "they can get them whenever they want."
Trump did not provide any details in the statement.
The response echoes previous statements from Trump's side.
At the time, the National Archives and Records Administration also found classified documents in documents handed over to him by Trump.
Kash Patel, who served in the Trump administration, has argued that Trump decrypted the documents before leaving the White House, but did not remove the "encrypted" logo on them.
Data map: On the evening of July 21, local time, a special committee of the U.S. House of Representatives held the eighth hearing on the investigation into the riots on Capitol Hill, focusing on the specific actions of former US President Trump when the riots occurred.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Chen Mengtong
Will Trump face jail time?
The US”Capitol Hill” reported that according to the search warrant unsealed by the court on the 12th, Trump may be suspected of violating the”Espionage Act” and other crimes.
The FBI is investigating whether Trump deleted or destroyed records, obstructed investigations and violated the Espionage Act, the report said.
The Espionage Act provides that officials entrusted with sensitive or classified information who, through "gross negligence," allow information to be removed from a safe location, or know that information has been removed from a safe location without notifying federal officials, will be fined Fine or up to 10 years in prison.
In addition, some experts are skeptical of Trump's claim that the documents have been "declassified," NBC said.
Richard Immerman, who worked in the Obama administration's national intelligence service, said that while the president has the authority to declassify documents, there is a formal process and there is no indication Trump used it.
The "New York Times" pointed out that if Trump claimed that he only ordered the declassification of documents verbally, without a formal, written order, it would be difficult for the outside world to confirm or deny his words.
Even if Trump did not follow formal procedures for declassifying certain information, that would be a matter of procedure.
But on the other hand, that doesn't mean the current potential charges against Trump are irrelevant.
Under the statute, it is a crime to take away or hide government records without permission, regardless of whether the documents in question involve national security.
There are also laws against "taking away or hoarding restricted national security information," which is not necessarily related to whether the information is technically encrypted.