Legal experts weighed in Friday on the unsealed indictment of former President Donald Trump, with some calling it “horrible” and others saying the indictment was “political.”

page 49 prosecution The former president said he had been charged with 31 charges of violating the Espionage Act, namely, “willful retention of national defense information,” one count each of “conspiracy to obstruct justice” and “withholding of documents and records.” “Wrongful Concealment of Documents or Records,” “Concealment of Documents in Federal Investigations,” “Concealment Plot,” and “False Statements and Representations.” After Friday’s release of the indictment, legal experts weighed various aspects of the indictment, with Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, telling Fox News that the indictment was “extremely egregious,” adding that the The matter was charged with obstruction and false statements.

“The special counsel knew that there were many who claimed that the Justice Department was biased or acting politically,” Turley said. Said. “This is clearly an indictment drafted to answer these questions. The details are overwhelming.” (Related: Trump indictment unsealed)

Mike Davis, founder and chairman of the Article III Project, disagreed, telling the Daily Caller News Foundation that the document “supports the political nature of Garland’s indictment of Trump.” “The Presidential Records Act, not the Espionage Act, governs the records of former presidents,” he said. His treatment of presidential records. ”

“Today’s indictment comes one day after learning that then-Vice President Biden and his family received at least $10 million from foreign countries in 2017 and that the FBI had concealed evidence since it changed U.S. policy,” Garland said. ‘s indictment against Trump is political,” he said.

“In general, according to the binding 2019 Department of Justice Legal Opinion, it is legally impossible to obstruct an investigation of a non-criminal case,” he continued. “The theory that the president of the United States can declassify information and still be charged with espionage, based on the ‘defense intelligence’ theory, will not stand up to Supreme Court review.”

just now:

On Biden, Trump’s indictments:

“no comments.”

— Diana Glebova (@DianaGlebova) June 9, 2023

Judicial Oversight Commissioner Tom Fitton tweeted The document “dishonestly ignores the U.S. Constitution, the Presidential Records Act, case law, and the Department of Justice/Archives’ previous positions regarding WH records taken by the President when he leaves the White House. These are presumed to be personal. and not subject to partisan review.” Biden’s appointees are either in the Justice Department or the Archives. ”

“Under the Constitution, federal law and legal precedent, it does not constitute a ‘classified’ document or ‘defense information’ that restricts the handling of President Trump at this time,” he said. “These are all his personal records and should frankly be returned to him. will be destroyed.”

Ted Frank, Litigation Director and Senior Counsel at the Hamilton Lincoln Institute of Law, said: I got it On Twitter, he wrote, “The decision to file an indictment in SD, Florida, rather than trying to forum-shop this case to the DDC, where the Republican party has a hard time getting a fair jury trial on its own, is a huge blow to the strength of the Republican Party.” It shows confidence,” he said. case. “

“[W]If you can win anywhere, why not fight at the venue? he asked. “If it was within the DDC, or if President Trump has actually used the last two years to comply with the law and work with the Justice Department, as is the case with other politicians and inadvertent retentions, then this I would be more receptive to the idea that was a politically bombarded job.” Yet they accused him. ”

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