Watertown NY 04.03.2024 Written by Hans Wilder
So, you got this guy, Jack Smith, right? He’s over there in his legal battle, swinging left and right, trying to take down former President Trump over some alleged mishandling of classified documents. Now, Jack’s got his spiel, saying Judge Aileen Cannon’s order is all wrong, that it’s gonna mess up the whole trial and maybe even hand Trump a free pass. But hold on a minute, let’s put Jack’s arguments under the microscope.
First off, Jack’s making a big fuss about how the Presidential Records Act (PRA) doesn’t directly spell out whether a former president can have classified stuff lying around like it’s nobody’s business. Sure, the PRA might not name-drop the Espionage Act, but Jack’s missing the forest for the trees here.
See, the PRA draws a line between what’s personal and what’s presidential when it comes to records. Trump’s camp is arguing that all those classified papers were just his personal stash, despite what the labels say. And you know what? That’s not as crazy as Jack wants you to think.
Now, Jack’s yelling from the rooftops that Trump’s whole defense using the PRA is a bunch of baloney cooked up after the fact. But hey, the PRA doesn’t need a presidential proclamation while the guy’s still in the Oval Office. It lets you slap the “personal” tag on records after you’ve left the building, and that’s exactly what Trump’s team did.
And don’t get me started on Jack’s gripe about Trump not officially labeling those docs as personal while he was president. Just because there’s no paper trail doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Lack of evidence isn’t proof of squat.
Oh, and Jack’s taking shots at the proposed jury instructions too, saying they’re weak sauce. But come on, they’re just saying the government’s gotta prove Trump knew what he was doing, which is basic legal ABCs.
Bottom line, Jack’s throwing shade at Judge Cannon’s order and Trump’s PRA defense, but his arguments are as shaky as a Jenga tower. The defense has a legit interpretation of the law, and it deserves a fair shake in this legal circus.
