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STOP THE REPRESSION
Activists in Davao City continue to raise the call to stop red-tagging and harassment of activists and community workers. Two Lumad students and two teachers were recently cleared from trumped up charges filed by the military. (Sean Jhayzeith Cortez/davaotoday.com).....»»
Ex-La Union lawmaker cleared of ‘pork’ raps
Former La Union second district representative Thomas Dumpit Jr. has been cleared of graft and malversation charges filed against him in connection with the alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel in 2008 amounting to P5.85 million......»»
Inordinate delay: Napoles cleared in fertilizer scam
The Sandiganbayan has dismissed the graft and malversation charges filed against businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and four former officials of the Department of Agriculture in Caraga due to the inordinate delay in the investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman......»»
Janet Napoles found guilty of 8 graft, malversation raps; given 64 yrs in jail
MANILA, Philippines — Janet Napoles, the alleged mastermind behind the pork barrel scam, is found guilty of eight charges of graft and malversation, the Sandiganbayan said on Friday, Oct. 20. Napoles, together with former National Agribusiness Corporation (Nabcor) officials Rhodora Mendoza, Victor Cacal, and Maria Ninez Guañizo, were also found guilty of graft and malversation charges. Napoles was proven to have violated Republic Act (RA) 3019 or Anti-graft and Practices Act. “The court finds accused Rhodora B. Mendoza, Maria Ninez P. Guanizo, Victor Roman C. Cacal, and Janet L. Napoles guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019, as amended, and are hereby sentenced to suffer the indeterminate penalty of imprisonment of six years and one month, as a minimum, to 10 years, as maximum, and to suffer perpetual disqualification from holding public office,” reads the decision from the Special Second Division of the anti-graft court. Napoles and the Nabcor officials were found guilty of four counts of corruption, and four counts of malversation of public funds. Collectively, the charges translate to 64 years of imprisonment at the minimum and 82 years at most. Sandiganbayan also ordered Napoles to pay government P41 million in damages. Each malversation charge requires Napoles to pay the equivalent amount of money involved in the criminal offense. Meanwhile, former South Cotabato Representative Arthur Pingoy Jr. was acquitted of graft and malversation charges in the same court decision. RELATED STORIES Napoles cleared in one pork barrel case but convicted in another Sandiganbayan acquits Napoles in 16 graft raps over pork barrel scam ‘Janet Lim Napoles’ listed among convicts freed on good conduct.....»»
Topacio: ‘President Arroyo has done no wrongdoing during her term’
The camp of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo deemed "baseless" the graft and malversation raps filed against the former president before the Ombudsman last week, accusing her of abuse of discretion over the disbursement of P38.807 billion in Malamapya funds during her presidency. Arroyo's legal counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, said that while they have yet to receive the copy of the complaint-- and learned about it through the news-- they have no doubt that the accusations will be disproven. "Suffice it to state that based on newspaper reports, the complainant admits that the funds concerned were used for public purposes," the lawyer said. "In accordance with settled legal principles, Pres. Arroyo has done no wrongdoing during her term, and we are confident that these charges will be proven false, in the same manner, that other accusations made before them have been shown to be baseless," he said. Topacio was referring to a 34-page complaint filed by National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms or NASECORE president Petronilo "Pete" Ilagan and Boses ng Konsyumer Alliance Inc. president Rogelio Reyes, suing Arroyo of 96 counts each of graft and malversation. The complainants cited irregularities in the utilization of Malampaya funds during Arroyo's incumbency, specifically the realigning of the revenues to finance government projects for which the funds were not intended. Arroyo was the Philippine president from 2001 to 2010. Ilagan and Reyes accused Arroyo of taking advantage of her post in allowing the use of P38.807 billion of Malampaya funds for purposes other than the avowed intention of Presidential Decree 910 and as highlighted by a 2017 special audit on the fund by the Commission on Audit. PD 910, signed in 1976, mandates that the profits from Malampaya remitted to the government should be used to finance energy resource development and exploration activities. However, it also stipulates that Malampaya earnings can also be used for "other purposes as directed by the President," which the complainants argued was abused by Arroyo. "Respondent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo whimsically took the opportunity of the said law's inadequacy and deliberately twisted the interpretation of the said provision to mean that she, as President, had the discretion to use the Malampaya Fund for whatever purpose she deemed fit," the complainants said. Ilagan and Reyes heavily emphasized Arroyo's command to direct the Malampaya funds to agricultural and irrigation programs, disaster rehabilitation, transport projects, national security activities, and cash assistance to the transport sector under the Pantawid Pasada Program, which they claimed was entirely unrelated to energy development. "In short, the Malampaya fund became a discretionary fund of the Office of the President, and disbursements therefrom became subject of whims and caprice of the respondent without regard to the purpose and policy of Presidential Decree No. 910," the complainants said of Arroyo. In the meantime, Topacio expressed their intention to defer it to the justice system and thereafter present a counterargument against the charges in due time. Arroyo and three of her Cabinet secretaries were previously sued for plunder by the National Bureau of Investigation before the Ombudsman for purportedly stealing a P900-million Malampaya fund intended for the impoverished back-to-back typhoon victims in 2009. She was cleared of the charges in 2016 following then-Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales' verdict that the NBI "failed to prove" that they colluded in the illegal diversion of Malampaya fund. The post Topacio: ‘President Arroyo has done no wrongdoing during her term’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Former Iloilo solon hurdles graft charges
The Sandiganbayan announced on Friday that it has cleared former Iloilo lawmaker Niel Tupas Jr. of graft and malversation raps over the alleged anomalous utilization of his P4.8-million pork barrel funds to a non-government organization in 2008. In a 99-page ruling dated 13 September but was released only on Friday, the anti-graft court’s Special Fourth Division found Tupas not guilty of breaching Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and Malversation through Falsification of Public Documents. His co-accused, Rhodora Mendoza and Romulo Relevo, ex-administrative and finance head, and ex-general services unit head respectively, of the now-defunct National Agri-Business Corporation or NABCOR, were also acquitted of the same charges for failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Filed by the Ombudsman in 2018, the case stemmed from the supposed misuse of Tupas’ Priority Development Assistance Fund worth P4,850,000 in 2008, supposedly intended to fund agricultural livelihood programs for Iloilo farmers. The funds were supposed to buy hand tractors, water pumps and grafted fruit seedlings, according to the Ombudsman. Tupas was accused of funneling his pork barrel to dubious NGO Kabuhayan at Kalusugan Alay Para sa Masa Foundation Inc. by utilizing the NABCOR as an intermediary. According to the Ombudsman, Tupas “unilaterally chose” and “indorsed” KKAMFI as a project partner to implement his livelihood projects for his district, notwithstanding that the foundation was “unaccredited” and “unqualified” to undertake such. Tupas and his co-respondents were accused of acting with manifest partially and evident bad faith by giving unwarranted benefits and advantages to the KKAMFI. The probe revealed that NABCOR and KKMFI entered into a memorandum of agreement on the purported implementation of Tupas’ PDAF-funded projects. NABCOR’s Mendoza and Relevo facilitated the disbursement of P4,850,000 to the foundation. The post Former Iloilo solon hurdles graft charges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
British nurse jailed for killing seven babies lodges appeal
A British nurse jailed for life for murdering seven newborn babies and attempting to kill six others has lodged a legal bid to appeal her conviction, court officials said Friday. Staff at the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, confirmed an application had been received from Lucy Letby for permission to appeal against all her convictions. Applications for permission to appeal against a lower crown court decision are typically considered by a judge without a hearing. If this is refused, permission can still be sought at a full court hearing before two or three judges. Letby, 33, was convicted last month of killing five baby boys and two baby girls, making her the UK's most prolific child serial killer in modern history. She was arrested following a string of deaths at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England between June 2015 and June 2016. She consistently denied all the charges. The jury in Letby's months-long trial cleared her of two counts of attempted murder and were unable to reach decisions on six other counts. Prosecutors are expected to confirm whether or not they will seek a re-trial on those charges next week. The government has announced an independent inquiry into her shocking case to examine how the concerns of clinicians were dealt with by the Chester hospital managers. The post British nurse jailed for killing seven babies lodges appeal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ressa, Rappler acquitted of tax evasion
Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corporation were acquitted by a Pasig court in a tax evasion case filed in connection with their supposed failure to declare tax in 2015. Atty. Francis Lim, counsel of Ressa, said his client and RHC were acquitted by the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 157 of violation of Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code (Tax Code) for the failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All five tax evasion charges filed against the respondents have been junked by the Pasig RTC which was filed during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa, 59 years old, shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov in 2021. She has been fighting multiple charges filed during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The journalist and Rappler had faced five government charges of tax evasion stemming from the 2015 sale of Philippine depositary receipts, which is a way for companies to raise money from foreign investors. In January, the Court of Tax Appeals First Division found Ressa and RHC not guilty on three counts of failure to supply the correct information and one count of tax evasion, amounting to P141 million worth of taxes, including surcharge and interest. The fifth charge was heard by a different court, which cleared her and Rappler of wrongdoing yesterday. However, Ressa and Rappler face an uncertain future as they battle another two court cases, despite the acquittals. Ressa and a former colleague Rey Santos Jr. are appealing a cyber libel conviction that carries a nearly seven-year jail sentence. The post Ressa, Rappler acquitted of tax evasion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ressa, Rappler cleared of fifth tax evasion charge
This development means that Ressa and RHC have been cleared of all five tax evasion charges filed during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. .....»»
Ressa says Philippine press freedom improving, but still ‘work to do’
Buoyed by her latest acquittal, Philippine journalist Maria Ressa told AFP Tuesday that media freedom in the country has improved since former president Rodrigo Duterte left office, but there was still a "lot of work to do". Ressa, who was a vocal critic of Duterte and his deadly drug war, said the fear fostered by him had "largely lifted" since his successor Ferdinand Marcos took power in June 2022. "There's been a lot of problems in the Philippines because fear spreads. But it has improved," Ressa, 59, told AFP in an interview after she and Rappler, the online news outfit she co-founded in 2012, were cleared of tax evasion. "Is it perfect? Far from it. We still have a lot of work to do." Ressa and Rappler have been battling multiple court cases filed during Duterte's rule, which she and press freedom advocates have long maintained were politically motivated. This year, Ressa and Rappler have been acquitted of five tax evasion charges, including the one on Tuesday. They are still fighting two cases, including a cyber libel conviction that could put Ressa behind bars for nearly seven years, and another that could shut down Rappler. "We're not out of the woods yet," Ressa admitted, likening the years-long legal battle to a "war of attrition". - 'Absolutely exhausting' - Shortly after Tuesday's verdict was read out in court, a beaming Ressa returned to Rappler's newsroom where she was greeted by clapping and cheering colleagues. Ressa told AFP the latest acquittal was confirmation that "we weren't foolish to trust the justice system at a time when it was being used against us because we're journalists." While the legal process had taken nearly five years and been "absolutely exhausting", Ressa said she hoped this latest victory would remind the public that journalists were needed "to keep power accountable, and to help power make the right decisions." "Doing the right thing is the right thing," said Ressa, who is also a US citizen. "It's up to us to ... hold the line." Many Filipino journalists had feared for press freedom under Marcos, who largely shunned mainstream media on the 2022 campaign trail. His own dictator father had shut down independent media outlets during his brutal rule that ended in a bloodless revolution in 1986. Since taking office, however, Marcos has been more open to answering questions from reporters, though one-on-one interviews are still rare, and has publicly vowed to protect the rights of journalists. His words have not been enough to prevent the killings of three journalists since he took power. Ressa said the "fear that engulfed us" during Duterte's rule had largely gone since Marcos took power. She attributed that to his desire to "change that history" of his family and vindicate their "tarnished" name. The ordeal of the past few years "forced us to be our best selves" and she remained hopeful for the future. "The cases very slowly are going away as they should have from the very beginning," she said. pam/amj/ssy © Agence France-Presse The post Ressa says Philippine press freedom improving, but still ‘work to do’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippine Nobel winner Maria Ressa acquitted of tax evasion — court
Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa was acquitted Tuesday of her final tax evasion charge, in the latest legal victory for the veteran journalist as she battles to stay out of prison. Ressa smiled as the judge delivered the verdict in the years-long case, an AFP journalist inside the courtroom said. The 59-year-old, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov in 2021, has been fighting multiple charges filed during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa, a vocal critic of Duterte and his deadly drug war, has long maintained that the cases against her and the news website Rappler, which she co-founded in 2012, were politically motivated. Ressa and Rappler had faced five government charges of tax evasion stemming from the 2015 sale of Philippine depositary receipts, which is a way for companies to raise money from foreign investors. A court acquitted them on four of the charges in January. The fifth charge was heard by a different court, which cleared her of wrongdoing on Tuesday. Despite the acquittals, Ressa and Rappler face an uncertain future as they battle another two court cases. The post Philippine Nobel winner Maria Ressa acquitted of tax evasion — court appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
2 alleged Indian terrorists deported
On Monday, the Bureau of Immigration announced that it had successfully deported the two Indians who had been tagged as terrorists. According to BI Intelligence Division Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., Manpreet Singh Gill and Mandeep Singh were successfully deported on 13 August via Thai Airways flight bound for New Delhi. Manahan said that the two were escorted by BI Intel officers along with Indian authorities. Manpreet was ordered deported for being an undesirable alien after the BI learned from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation that he is wanted in India for a number of offenses, including violation of the unlawful activities prevention act, and that he is a suspect in a murder there. The Indian government further informed the BI that Manpreet is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Additional Chief Magistrate in Moga Punjab, for violating the country’s Arms Act. Mandeep was tagged as a fugitive and undesirable alien for violating the conditions of his stay. Manahan added that Manpreet and Mandeep were arrested with two others last March 7 in Iloilo City by the BI Fugitive Search Unit with the help of the anti-terrorism group, the Crime Investigation Coordinating Council, the Philippine National Police in Iloilo City, and government intelligence agencies. They were said to be involved in terrorist activities in Punjab, India. The two of their companions, Amrik Singh and Hayer Amritpal Singh, were already deported in May this year. Manpreet and Mandeep were deported after being cleared of local charges in the country. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that their deportation ensures that the country is safe from these undesirable aliens that pose a major threat to our people. Tansingco added that their close coordination with other governments would allow them to continuously hunt down and deport these fugitives. The post 2 alleged Indian terrorists deported appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Flex Fuel execs face raps; Manzano cleared
Syndicated estafa charges were filed by the National Bureau of Investigation against Flex Fuel Corporation president Ildefonso Medel Jr. over allegations of fraud raised by the company’s co-owners but cleared actor Luis “Lucky” Manzano. The 11 other officers of Flex Fuel were also charged by the NBI Anti-Fraud Division before the Taguig Prosecutors Office. Manzano, Flex Fuel’s former co-owner/chairman, previously said that he consulted the NBI as early as September last year regarding Flex Fuel’s failure to meet its obligations with its co-owners and investors. The actor-host was facing an NBI probe after several investors accused him of estafa over a failed co-ownership scheme offered by Flex Fuel Petroleum Corp. where the actor sat as board chairman. The report stated that 100 investors failed to recover their investment of nearly P1 million each and at least five of them lodged a complaint with the NBI. Manzano was not among those charged, although he was one of the incorporators of the company, as he had already resigned and was no longer connected to Flex Fuel in 2021, when some of the complainants invested money. Based on the NBI’s investigation, the company allegedly solicited investment money from victims with the promise of making them partners in gasoline stations, but this promise was not fulfilled. The post Flex Fuel execs face raps; Manzano cleared appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US actor Kevin Spacey cleared of UK sex offenses
Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey was acquitted on Wednesday in Britain of nine alleged sex offenses, in the latest court victory for the Oscar winner who was one of the first huge stars felled by the #MeToo movement. The star of "American Beauty" and drama series "House of Cards", who turned 64 on Wednesday, was acquitted by majority verdicts in London following a trial lasting several weeks. "I'm enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they reached their decision and I am humbled by the outcome today," he told reporters outside court. It comes less than a year after a New York court dismissed a $40 million sexual misconduct civil lawsuit brought against him, and follows charges of indecent and sexual assault being dropped in Massachusetts in 2019. Spacey's once-stellar career has been halted by the various allegations of sexual offences, which first emerged in 2017 and which he has always denied. The actor told Germany's Die Zeit that he expected to mount a comeback following the acquittal. "I know that there are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London," he told the German national weekly. "The second that happens, they're ready to move forward." Madness The jury in London, which began considering the charges on Monday, cleared Spacey of all nine counts that he faced, after more than 12 hours of deliberations. The alleged offences included seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. They were said to have occurred in 2005 and 2008 in London, and in 2013 in Gloucestershire, western England. Jurors heard evidence from the four alleged victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons. British rock star Elton John was also among those to testify, as a witness for Spacey. The prosecution claimed he was a "sexual bully" who revelled in making others feel uncomfortable, including by aggressively grabbing men's crotches. One of victims, a former aspiring actor, said he woke up to find Spacey performing a sex act on him, suggesting the actor "drugged" him. He was accused of grabbing another man's crotch "so hard" while driving to a fundraising event, that the car nearly came off the road. Spacey, whose full name is Kevin Spacey Fowler, called the claims "madness" and a "stab in the back". He had been on unconditional bail since first being charged in Britain last year, and on Wednesday walked out of the south London court a free man. The Crown Prosecution Service said it had charged him following "a thorough investigation" by London's Metropolitan Police. "It is the role of the jury to consider the charges and we respect the decision of the court," a spokesman added. Career success Spacey enjoyed a highly successful decades-spanning career with roles such as a middle-aged father lusting after a teen in "American Beauty," a serial killer in "Se7en" and the villain in "Superman Returns". He worked as artistic director at London's Old Vic Theatre between 2004 and 2015. In 2017 he was one of the first stars caught up in the global #MeToo movement as he was accused of sexual assault by multiple young men. He was dropped from the final season of the political drama "House of Cards" and other projects. A New York court dismissed a $40 million civil sexual misconduct lawsuit brought against him in October last year. The complainant, actor Anthony Rapp, alleged the star had assaulted him when he was 14. He brought the civil case after being told it was too late to bring a criminal charge but failed to convince the jury in that case. In 2019, charges of indecent and sexual assault were dropped against Spacey in Massachusetts. The post US actor Kevin Spacey cleared of UK sex offenses appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SC: Efficiency not penalized
The Supreme Court absolved officials of the Social Security System clearing them of administrative liability in the approval of the purchase of 25 million Philippine Commercial International Bank shares worth P7.5 billion in 1999. The high bench explained there was no undue haste in the purchase since they were able to justify the transactions. Edgar Solilapsi, who was then senior vice president for Investment; Horacio Templo, then chief actuary of the SSS Executive Management Committee; and Lilia Marquez, then head of the Institutional Loans Department were the ones cleared of the charges in the multi-billion purchase of PCIB shares. The court said they should be paid salaries and other emoluments that they did not receive during a six-month suspension of the purchase. The SC First Division in its 29 March 2023 decision, said the officials’ expeditious actions in relation to the transaction are not evidence of wrongdoing. Incentivize, instead “On the contrary, efficiency is a virtue that all branches of government should nurture and incentivize. Paralyzing indecision should be suppressed. Once all legal requirements are complied with, government personnel should be confident to act as required by the exigencies of the service,” it said. The case stemmed from a complaint filed by SSS officers and members who alleged that the purchase of PCIB shares was overpriced by P1.165 billion which was based on the supposed P245 market price of PCIB shares, and the purchase price of P290.075 per share. SSS officials named in the complaint said the alleged overprice was a premium which is normal in negotiated purchases of blocks of shares. The SC said the expeditious purchase of the shares was due to a change in how the SSS’ Securities Trading and Management Department worked. The court noted that in an earlier meeting, Solilapsi was directed to fast track share purchase recommendations because the SSS had missed out on an earlier opportunity to buy Metro Pacific Corporation shares at a lower price. Preparations could not keep up with market changes, it said. The post SC: Efficiency not penalized appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sandiganbayan acquits co-accused in P46-M fertilizer anomaly
The Sandiganbayan has dismissed the charges against a private co-accused in the illegal P46.45-million fertilizer purchase of the Department of Agriculture and National Food Authority in 2003. In its 4-page resolution dated 7 July 2023 and released on Sunday, the graft court’s Sixth Division found insufficient evidence that Tomas Guibani, a representative of Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corp., conspired with the principal defendants, former DA Secretary Luis Ramon Lorenzo and former NFA Administrator Arthur Yap, in negotiating the purchase of the fertilizer instead of bidding it out to suppliers, in violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Government Procurement Act. “Private individuals may be held liable for violation of Section 3 of RA (Republic Act) 3019 only if they act in conspiracy with the accused public officers. There being insufficient evidence to show the conspiracy, the Court finds that the withdrawal of the Informations is proper,” the resolution read. The Ombudsman charged the three with five counts of graft in 2018. The Supreme Court ruled in October 2022 that the constitutional right of Lorenzo and Yap for a speedy disposition of cases against them was violated. The two principal accused were subsequently acquitted of the charges. Earlier, Guibani asked for the dismissal of the cases against him as Lorenzo and Yap were both cleared of the same charges. With his acquittal, Guibani’s hold departure is now lifted and set aside. The court also ordered his bond be released, subject to the usual accounting and auditing procedure. The post Sandiganbayan acquits co-accused in P46-M fertilizer anomaly appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
La Union solon cleared over PDAF raps
The Sandiganbayan First Division on Tuesday cleared ex-La Union lawmaker Thomas De Lara Dumpit Jr. over multiple charges of graft and malversation related to the infamous multi-million pork barrel scam. In a 227-page decision released Tuesday, the anti-graft court acquitted Dumpit of nine counts of graft, three of malversation of public funds, and six of malversation through falsifying public documents. The lawmaker was indicted in the case for allegedly funneling his Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF allocations from 2007 to 2009 amounting to P45 million to Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation Inc. on livelihood projects in 18 barangays in Tubao, La Union. The charges were formally dropped after the court ruled that his signature on the documents was forged. It also noted that the prosecution’s inability to present a witness to testify that Dumpit indeed signed the documents relevant to the cases further bolstered the acquisition. “Given this premise, there is then no evidence to sufficiently prove that accused Dumpit had any participation in the crimes charged herein,” said the court. The post La Union solon cleared over PDAF raps appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Echiverri cleared of graft, falsification raps
The Sandiganbayan has acquitted former Caloocan City mayor Enrico Echiverri of graft and falsification charges in connection with the procurement of P25.816 million worth of group life insurance policies for barangay officials in 2013......»»
Trump took secret docs, put national security at risk: indictment
Federal prosecutors unsealed a wide-ranging indictment of Donald Trump on Friday, accusing the former US president of endangering national security by holding on to top secret nuclear and defense documents after leaving the White House. The 76-year-old Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, took hundreds of classified government documents in cardboard boxes to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, the 49-page charge sheet said. Trump kept the files -- which included records from the Pentagon, CIA, and National Security Agency -- unsecured at Mar-a-Lago, which regularly hosted large social events, the indictment said. On at least two occasions, Trump showed classified documents on US military operations and plans to people not cleared to see them at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, it said. Trump faces 37 separate counts in the indictment including 31 counts of "willful retention of national defense information" relating to specific documents. A conviction on each count carries up to 10 years in prison. "We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone," said Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the historic indictment against Trump, the first former US president ever to face federal criminal charges. "Laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States, and they must be enforced," Smith said, adding that he would seek to ensure that Trump receives a "speedy trial." Other charges facing the twice-impeached Trump include conspiracy to obstruct justice, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, withholding a document or record, which also carries a potential 20-year sentence, and making false statements. Trump's personal aide, Walt Nauta, was named as a co-conspirator, and charged with six counts for helping Trump hide documents, which were kept at various locations in Mar-a-Lago, according to the indictment, including a ballroom, a bathroom, Trump's bedroom, and a storage room. "The classified documents Trump stored in the boxes included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries," the indictment said. Other records dealt with US nuclear programs and potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack along with plans for retaliation, it said. "The unauthorized disclosure of these classified documents could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and human sources," according to the indictment. Trump hater Trump is to appear in court in Miami at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Tuesday for the first hearing in the case. According to US media, the case will initially be handled by Aileen Cannon, 42, a Trump-appointed judge who made rulings favorable to the former president during a court review of documents seized in an August 2022 FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago. A trial is not expected to begin for several months and there is nothing to prevent Trump from pursuing a second term in the White House while facing charges. According to the indictment, Trump directed his aide Nauta to conceal boxes containing documents from the FBI and his own attorney and suggested to his lawyers at one point that they hide or destroy documents being sought. The indictment also recounted a conversation between Trump and one of his attorneys about the documents in which the former president reportedly said "Wouldn't it be better if we just told them we don't have anything?" Trump responded to the indictment with a string of posts on his Truth Social platform, calling Smith, the special counsel, "deranged" and a "Trump hater." "Under the Presidential Records Act, I'm allowed to do all this," Trump said. "There was no crime." In a defiant video Thursday, Trump also declared his innocence and framed the indictment as election interference by a Justice Department "weaponized" by President Joe Biden. "They come after me because now we're leading in the polls again by a lot against Biden," Trump said. Biden said Friday that he would have no comment on the case and has had no contact with Attorney General Merrick Garland, who appointed Smith as special counsel to conduct the Trump probe. "I have not spoken to him at all and I'm not going to speak with him," Biden told reporters. Trump was already the first former or sitting president to be charged with a crime, indicted in New York in March in a case involving election-eve hush money payments to a porn star who said she had an affair with him. Smith is also looking into whether Trump should face charges over the January 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters. And Georgia prosecutors are investigating whether Trump illegally attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election outcome in the southern state. The post Trump took secret docs, put national security at risk: indictment appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Prosecutors tell Trump lawyers he is target of classified docs probe: reports
US prosecutors have told Donald Trump's lawyers that he is the target of a probe into his handling of classified documents after leaving the presidency, in a sign he might be indicted, US media reported Wednesday night. The notice came from the office of special counsel Jack Smith, The New York Times, CNN and other news outlets said, and gives the clearest sign yet that prosecutors are moving closer to charging the former president, who is seeking a return to the White House in 2024. The Times, citing "two people familiar with the matter", said it was not clear when Trump's team had been told he was the subject of the investigation. Special counsel Smith, named by Attorney General Merrick Garland, has been looking into a cache of classified documents that Trump had stored at his Mar-a-Lago residence after leaving the White House. The FBI carted away some 11,000 papers after serving a search warrant on Mar-a-Lago in August, and Trump could face obstruction-of-justice charges after spending months resisting efforts to recover the trove. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. "No one has told me I'm being indicted, and I shouldn't be because I've done NOTHING wrong," Trump posted on his Truth Social network Wednesday. "I have assumed for years that I am a Target of the WEAPONIZED DOJ & FBI," said Trump, who has already been indicted in a separate case. Investigators have been scrutinizing several suspected attempts to obstruct them from getting access to documents and footage from a security camera near the storeroom at Mar-a-Lago where documents were kept. Trump has openly acknowledged taking and storing the documents, undermining his lawyers' suggestion that he took the stash inadvertently in the confusion of a chaotic departure. Meanwhile, investigators have obtained an audio recording of Trump in which he acknowledged he held onto a classified Pentagon document after he left the White House, according to US media. On Monday, US media also reported that Trump's lawyers met with Justice Department attorneys. John Rowley, James Trusty and Lindsey Halligan were seen by reporters arriving at the DoJ building in Washington but did not make any comment. The Washington Post reported at the time that Trump's lawyers had come to make their case that their client should not face any charges. One expert told MSNBC that Wednesday's news would suggest an indictment is in the offing. "If a prosecutor tells you that you are the target of their investigation, it means they expect to indict you," former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti said. "When I was on the other side of the aisle, when I was a federal prosecutor, when I told someone they were a target, that's what I meant." 'Dramatic and divisive' Trump has already been charged with dozens of financial crimes as part of an alleged hush-money scheme to silence a porn star claiming she had sex with him, and is due to go on trial next March, in the middle of primary election season. The former president is facing a growing list of Republican primary opponents, including his former vice president Mike Pence, who avoided taking an absolute position when asked about the probe during a CNN town hall interview Wednesday night. "Let me be clear that no one's above the law," Pence said. "I would just hope there would be a way for them to move forward without the dramatic and drastic and divisive step of indicting a former president of the United States," he added. Fellow 2024 candidate and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson took a stronger tack, urging Trump to drop out of the presidential race. "Donald Trump is the target of an ongoing criminal investigation and he should step aside & put the good of the country above his candidacy," he tweeted Wednesday night. In addition to the hush-money and documents probes, Trump is being investigated over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the southern state of Georgia and his involvement in the January 2021 storming of the US Capitol by his supporters. Other politicians have been found to have kept government documents at their private homes in recent months. In January, Garland named a separate special counsel to examine whether President Joe Biden violated any law after the discovery of some classified documents at his former office and in the garage of his home in Wilmington, Delaware. Pence was recently cleared of any wrongdoing over materials he uncovered at his home in Indiana. The post Prosecutors tell Trump lawyers he is target of classified docs probe: reports appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»