Mishandling classified information is punitive in nature because of the intrinsic damage to National Security. A POTUS misunderstanding this is problematic.
National Security Compromised
Before I start, let me caveat that this article is not political in nature, instead it is fact-based, and it will happen to include political overtones due to the fact of who is involved as the principal Defendant. And yes, this is about the latest indictment of Former U.S. President Trump. This time for the copious amounts of highly classified documents he held in his Mar-A-Lago Residence in Florida post presidency. I have included the entire indictment document of the United States of America versus Donald J. Trump and Waltine Nauta. The document is 44 pages in length, so it will take you a good hour or so to read it thoroughly. I highly recommend you to do so. You can either read it before you continue with this article, or after. Your choice, the facts are what they are. Compare what you read with whatever favorite talking head from wherever you consume “news” says about the case.
Click the following link to read the full indictment:
This is a lot bigger than just one person.
If you like, or have a positive bias for former President Trump, this will not be easy to read. I recommend you to read it and attribute these facts to somebody you don’t particularly like, that will help you maintain objectivity while understanding the facts. If you already do not like Trump, you’re probably going to like him even less. If you are in that category, please remember that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. You’re still entitled to your opinion, but the facts will speak for themselves. If you are indifferent one way or the other, just understand this also affects YOU, and EVERYONE on this planet. Why? Because we are talking about the compromise of exceedingly high level of national security information and documents. This is the stuff of nightmares, because what could be written in those documents could start, or prompt an adversary of the United States of America to conduct strikes against us – or a war for which we might or might not be able to defend against. And if that happens, then the entire world goes down one way or the other, just by virtue that the United Sates is the most influential county in the world, like it or not.
Therefore, as you read my words, remember what I said. This is a lot bigger than just one person, it affects the entire world, even if many people do not understand why or how.
The world is a lot more complex than what most people would ever dream. Propagandists, authoritarians, charlatans, and other unsavory characters thrive in this disinformation. They will gaslight their supporters, yes you read that right. In other words, they take their supporters for fools, and they will give them just enough information to wake up a visceral response, and get them angry enough as to not want to learn more facts. Then plant just enough spin so they will run with a narrative that is both flawed and deceitful. And it works, a lot of people who already have a bias one way or the other, will inevitably gravitate towards what “makes sense” to them. This is what we call the echo-chamber. This “safe place” where everybody agrees with them. Truth to be told, sometimes those you trust the most are the ones who are deceiving you.
So, what is the big deal?
It is National Security. It can literally destroy our world in many ways. The reason information gets classified is because there is a lot of bad folks out there. And if they get to understand how we do business, they will use that information against you. This can happen in the micro level as well as the macro level.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say that you’re going on vacation and you are leaving your house to the care from a friend, but since you cannot give him the keys to your house right away you “hide” the key under a flower pot near the porch. Only your friend is supposed to know that and come and retrieve the key to make sure everything is okay. So, let’s say that your friend instead of being discrete about the key being under the flower pot, he goes on and post in social media that you’re going on vacation, and that you trusted with house-sitting, and that you’ll be there after work to retrieve the key under the flower pot by the porch.
Sounds ludicrous right? Who could be that stupid as to let everybody know that has no business learn about where that house key is, and how we intend to use it, and most importantly give an idea of how long will the house be unprotected? That could give plenty of time for somebody to break or enter the house to burglarize, either during that time this man is at work, or worse, give enough time to make a copy of that key and use it a time that is more convenient for this potential burglar.
When it comes to classified information, it can be very similar, but the damage is exponentially worse.
When people are trusted with any level of classified information, it means that they can be trusted to safeguard that information. A security clearance is based in trustworthiness, loyalty, and character. If any of those are negatively impacted, then a person could lose their security clearance, or not get one granted in the first place. Having access, or handling this type of information also requires a bunch of documentation to ensure that a person has gone through the vetting process, and they are indeed allowed to even be in the mere presence of this information. And yes, there are national databases that will determine exactly what an individual person has been granted access to view, or handle sensitive information. And no, it cannot be declassified in a whim. There is an extensive process for that – and yes, it requires a lot of paperwork and that is also part of national databases to corroborate. Why? Because this information is very sensitive. That is why not everybody gets the privilege to have a security clearance.
In the aftermath of this indictment, that is what bothers me the most. Personalities that are Trump fans downplay the extreme importance of what this information signifies to the security of the United Sates and by extension the entire world.
The biggest distinction I want to make, is to understand that comparing this to the Hillary Clinton case is a red herring. I am no fan of what Clinton did, but these are SEPARATED cases. Not because one of them did something bad means that another one can do something similar bad and get away with it. What it is factual is that Trump’s case is much, much worse than Clinton’s. How? Because of the scope of mishandling and sensitivity of the documents in question. Also, Trump is charged with several counts of conspiracy to hide, or mislead the department of Justice, and even his own lawyers. And guess what? His lawyers also bailed on him, and collaborated with the prosecutors. Why you think is that?
Because these lawyers KNOW that they could spend the rest of their lives in jail for mishandling classified documents. Even one document is bad enough, there are hundreds of documents with some of the highest levels of classification in the country that were moved over and over again in unsecured boxes and placed in unsecured spaces for months at a time. This is not a simple mistake; this is at the very least gross negligence. Any person who has any knowledge of handling classified information knows that it requires a very extensive process, and there are a lot of documents that need to be validated in order to even be in the presence of any classified material. The fact that it was left unattended in various parts of Mar-A-Lago when there were thousands of visitors, the potential for this information to be compromised is gigantic. And gigantic is actually an understatement.
Retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief Culinary Specialist Waltine Nauta is the other defendant along with Trump. He should have known better than to handle these boxes full of documents the way he did. When a person is granted a security clearance to be so close to the President of the United States, they are required to sign a lot of paperwork in connection with their security clearance. And each one of these documents give explicit instructions of what you can and cannot do with these classified documents. How to handle them, how to transport them, how to read them, what you can and cannot talk about them, etc. And yes, the paperwork will also give you very stern warnings about what happens if you fail to follow the rules. And these include but are not limited to punitive charges under the espionage act. And that is why you see this retired Senior Chief as a co-defendant.
It is handling of classified information 101, do not mix classified and unclassified documents in a manner they could get “mistakenly” taken out of a controlled space. So, the fact that there were boxes staked all over the place, and moved and left unattended without any actual care to these is actually a criminal offense. Hence, a criminal indictment. Even ONE classified document being mishandled is enough to land a person in jail. Even if it is the lowest level of classification, because it could provide “damage” to national security. The higher the classification, the higher the level of damage to national security. Again, for those who do not understand this, that is why they are likely not granted a security clearance in the first place. And for those how actually do have a security clearance, and do not understand why these need to be safeguarded, then they have no business keeping that security clearance. Remember, what I said, a clearance is based in trustworthiness, loyalty, and character.
But there is more than that metric alone. It is also based on the need to know up to the level granted on the adjudicated access. What does that mean? It means that a person is given the MINIMUM level of access to view classified information in order to perform their official duties. Once those duties are over, then there is a process where people sign a bunch of documents saying that they are no longer authorized to view, or handle classified information. That is why it is a problem that Trump was handling this information. There is a process to be able to continue having this access, and yes – there are national databases to demonstrate this process. Trump did not follow that process.
If you’re a Trump fan, sorry to disappoint you with the facts. As I said before, it is best if you attribute these facts to any person that you don’t particularly like. If you can see the problem with that, then you’ll understand why this is important. And if for example you would give Trump a pass, but condemn another person for the same offense, at the same scope and metrics, then you’re not being honest with yourself. And truth to be told, Trump has been getting away with a lot more than any other person in the U.S. has ever gotten away with. All this is just catching up with him. Was not a matter of if but when.
Read the 44-page document I attached. This is the official indictment. And I must say, it is very well written. It is very factual, and it is giving us a very detailed description of why it is so damaging to our national security. Replace the name Trump with any other name, and read it… there is no way this puts Trump or Nauta in a positive light. Personally, I wish Trump was not indicted for this… not because I have a political leaning or if I like or disklike the guy… but because that would mean that he was being judicious our country’s most sensitive secrets and what they are intended to protect – which is all of us. And I have to emphasize this point, NOBODY is allowed to mishandle classified information, period.
The reason why this indictment is so damning to Trump and Nauta is because there is plenty of empirical evidence that demonstrates the timeline, the intent, and the failed attempts to downplay and misdirect the entities requesting these documents to be returned. Trump can try to win any favors in the court of public opinion (for anybody who does not understand the gravity of this situation), but that won’t fly in a court of law. And no, Biden’s, Pence’s, Clinton’s, or anybody else’s cases do not mean crap on this indictment. This is Trump’s and Nauta’s indictment. Each is different case, so a “what about x, y, or z” don’t mean anything in a court of law, the scope of the investigation for this case mean what Trump and Nauta did or did not do. Bringing anybody else’s case does not excuse Trump or Nauta for mishandling highly sensitive information.
Classified documents were found inside these boxes at Trump’s residence.
Running for reelection
I know that Trump is at this time the front runner, but in good conscience Republicans need to do some soul searching and realize that Trump ran on a platform (among other things) to safeguard classified information when Clinton’s mishandling occurred. That’s a different topic altogether, but relevant to today (by his own mouth), he started the chant “lock her up” for her mishandling of classified information. What should the chant be for his own mishandling of even much higher classified information?
Trump was very cavalier with classified information during is presidency. And many people were concerned (obviously justifiably so) that he might not be the best person to have access to some of the most sensitive secrets in the world. The only solace some people had is that he might not even understand what he was reading anyway, but that is another problem… SOMEBODY DOES understand what is in those documents.
Let me draw you a parallel to illustrate what I mean. Let’s say that a person who is not particularly good at math gets to see a very large equation that has formula for a very sophisticated weapon capability. For those who do not know what they are looking at, it will look like a bunch of numbers and some mathematical signs, but not much else. For somebody who knows what they are looking at, that is a treasure throve of information expressed in a way that they can have actionable use for that information. Similar with classified information. For some people that might seem like gibberish, but for those who know what to look for it can be a treasure trove much more significant than the obvious.
That is personally my concern. With these many boxes being piled up in all kinds of random, unsecured, and unattended places, who else (who was not directly mentioned in this indictment) had a chance to either, view, copy, photograph, memorize, or otherwise get access to these documents? We are speaking about months of things being stuck in places that have access to other public areas in the resort. These boxes do not seem to be sealed, nor properly accounted for. Classified information is highly controlled in the way they are supposed to be moved and accounted for. So the fact that Nauta, who moved these boxes was not being judicious, that is a huge problem. Even if it was by “mistake,” that does not justify a compromise. He should have known better because it is explicitly written in the papers he had to sign in order to have a security clearance in the first place. And that is IF he was even allowed to see all the information that was found therein.
Sorry, but a Culinary Specialist does not meet all the “need to know” requirements for this level of information. When it comes to certain levels of information or briefings he would have been politely asked to “step off” the room if there was information that he was not attributed to see. So, if Trump allowed him to move boxes with information he was not attributed to read, that is also on Trump to make it worse on Nauta. If Trump was this careless with his closest valet who was in his inner circle, what can we expect for those outside this circle?
And really quick, reaching the rank of Senior Chief means that a Sailor has gone through a lot of training and has a lot of experience working in the government. For anybody unfamiliar with U.S. Enlisted rank structure, it goes from low to high as E-1 through E-9. A Senior Chief is E-8 or, the second highest Enlisted rank. Therefore, I have zero sympathy for this being an “honest mistake” – especially when a high level of security clearance was granted. A security clearance is a privilege, not a right.
But just as it is not acceptable for a Senior Chief to be careless with the Nation’s secrets because he should have known better… when what about the President of United States himself? Zero sympathy for Trump on this, sorry. As the President, he has to be the most honorable and proficient person when it comes to be a good steward of classified information when it comes to protecting said classified information. If Trump was unable to demonstrate he has the fortitude of character to handle these documents, or worse when he got caught to accept responsibility, then what would he do if he actually gets away with it?
More importantly, what does it do to many of his sympathizes with a security clearance right now? Would they think that it is ok to mishandle classified information and material because their favorite guy who was in the White House got away with it?
If any government person, let alone an official with a security clearance compromises ONE line of classified information, they could be held accountable under the espionage act. Let alone a whole document. And they could run the risk of losing their security clearance and position. So what is the case when there are more than 30 counts of highly classified documents with some of the highest classification markings in the country found during the FBI raid in Trump’s residence? That does not account for the copious amounts of classified documents that Trump did return, albeit after a lot of months and by pressure from the government before the raid.
So, if ANY government person would be held accountable for that, then what should the metric be for a former President, who very much should know better? Let me give you a parallel. The Air National Guard kid who was posting highly classified documents in a gaming social media platform to brag to his “friends” got arrested and charged under the espionage act. As he should, because he had no business handling, let alone posting those documents in a gaming platform. Much like with Trump, he had hard copies of the document and then compromised them. Trump had a lot of hard copies of the documents, and the difference is that we don’t know who has viewed them before the FBI raid.
The difference is that if somebody did get to see those documents, they were not going to be as stupid as this Air National Guard jackass who posted classified information in a gaming platform. But that means that it gives them a possibility to plan against our defenses. And that should really scare the crap out of anybody. By the way, in this Airman’s case even his Commanders got fired because of the compromise.
So, if you hear Trump talking bad about immigrants, or other countries, or any of his opponents, just remember that he is now responsible for the single highest level of compromise of Classified information in the history of the United States of America, and by extension the world, because the information also speaks about our allies and adversaries. Yes, he made it easier on any enemy of America to make us all more vulnerable.
It is not just about having a lot of boxes; it is about having boxes mixed along with his personal crap some of the most sensitive documents in the country. And if he was cavalier and careless to mix them like that, that alone is a very powerful reason not to trust him again with a similar position.
I’ll bring you back to my parallel-example of the person who told everybody about the house key being put in the flower pot. If you are the home owner, would you trust that person again with taking care of your house? If you do, then there is not much I can do for you or your decision-making abilities or common sense (and judgment). But then again, I know you are a very smart person and you know what the correct answer is.
I won’t rehash everything about Trump’s, indictment. Read it yourself. It might make you mad (it made my blood boil). Again, if you’re a Trump fan, change the name “Trump” to anybody you don’t particularly like, and understand the facts. The facts speak for themselves, and it is not good news for Trump, and it is a dark day in America, because this demonstrates the damage that has been done to our great nation due to the mishandling of those documents. HLC