But Is It A Scandal?

You’ve no doubt heard about the classified and top secret documents found in Mar-a-Lago. You can’t have missed the story of the same type of documents being found in Joe Biden’s old office, his house, his garage, et al. And you’ve probably heard that Mike Pence had some that he says were inadvertently packed up with his stuff when he left the Trump White House, and sent back to Indiana with him. But there is an over-riding question in all three cases…

Is it a scandal?

Was it a scandal (as the Democrats claim) that Donald Trump had stored secret and top secret documents under lock and key in Mar-a-Lago? He claims not because he says he, as president, has the right to declassify them, and he did. Is it a scandal that Joe Biden had taken secret and top secret documents from the Obama White House, and from a Senate Skiff and had them stored unsecured in an office he kept in DC, and in his Wilmington, Delaware home? Republicans say that it is, Democrats aren’t saying much at this point. What about Mike Pence? Was his a “clerical error” as he claims? Or was it something else? Neither side is really saying much about Pence’s situation.

But America is talking. Rasmussen did a poll on the subject and asked if taking these types of documents constitutes a scandal. 72% said yes. 24% said no. 4% weren’t sure. Of the 72% that said yes, over half (48%) believed not only was it a scandal, it was a “major scandal”. So, the question is, what do we do from here?

First of all, let me say that there are so many documents that are created in Washington DC in a given day, and over the course of a year between 15-20 MILLION documents are classified or marked in a “secret” category. Why so many? Well, obvious reasons would say that we don’t want our enemies to know what is in the documents. But are they hiding the documents from the American people as well? In a typical year, about 4% of FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests were denied. That number ballooned to 9% under the Obama White House. Numbers aren’t in so far for Biden or Trump. So one would have to assume by the low number that not many requests are denied.

As far as a scandal, I can certainly see in all cases that a scandal is brewing. Trump at least kept his docs under lock and key. Biden meanwhile had his in boxes in his garage as well as strewn around the house. Pence’s docs were in a sealed box that he hasn’t even opened in two years.

So, what do we do from here? Well, first of all, there needs to be a law that severely punishes someone that has said documents in their possession. And wouldn’t you know it? There is! Here’s what it says: “Whoever, being an officer, employee, contractor, or consultant of the United States, and, by virtue of his office, employment, position, or contract, becomes possessed of documents or materials containing classified information of the United States, knowingly removes such documents or materials without authority and with the intent to retain such documents or materials at an unauthorized location shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both.”

So, in this case, one should be able to conclude that Biden will be brought up on charges, as will Trump. Biden will most likely have to wait until he’s out of office. Pence could be as well, but his defense is probably easier than the other two. In each case, however, yes, I would consider it to be a major breach of policy, and as stated above, it’s against the law. Why should someone like Trump or Biden skate just because they have been president? It says, “whoever”, it doesn’t allow there to be an exception for a president, either sitting or former.

It’s time the Department of Justice, and the idiots in DC learn that when you pass a law, ALL Americans are under that law and have to be punished if they break the law. Pure and simple. No exceptions. No special treatment to those that were once in power. You do the crime, you do the time. Especially because of the fact that the people breaking the law are in most cases, the people that actually WROTE the damn law!

Carry on world…you’re dismissed!

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