It emerged that among the documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago were documents covered by one of the highest levels of classification used by the US government. And there were hundreds of them in the Palm Beach, Florida resort — about 100 of them were removed in a previously unreported operation by federal authorities in January. A letter leaked in May this year from the National Archives to Mr Trump’s legal team, released last night by a right-wing news website, says that among the documents already handed over were Special Access Program material, the which is among the most highly controlled documents classified by the federal government. Multiple news outlets have reported that the federal government has reportedly recovered a total of 300 classified documents since Trump left the White House, totaling more than 700 pages. This includes around 150 documents that were handed over under an agreement earlier this year. The news comes after Mr. Trump formally filed a response to the FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago home: a lawsuit seeking to review documents seized by the Justice Department by a special master.
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Who is Charlie Crist, the former Florida Republican who will challenge Ron DeSandis?
A former Florida governor is set to face off against Ron DeSantis this fall in a race that could dramatically reshape a potential 2024 candidate’s political prospects. Charlie Crist is back and despite his previous history as a Republican he is now running as a Democrat in the state that voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. He claims the right-wing Republican left him behind with his slavish devotion to Donald Trump. Read more about the Democratic candidate in the Florida gubernatorial race:
Who is Charlie Crist, the former Florida Republican who will challenge Ron DeSandis?
‘I didn’t leave the Republican Party – it left me’ John Bowden24 August 2022 06:30 1661315400
Trump aide Matt Gaetz wins Florida primary despite criticism, sex-trafficking probe
Matt Gaetz is headed for possible re-election in November despite facing a sex-trafficking investigation. The Justice Department’s investigation of Mr. Gaetz, a Florida lawmaker and top ally of Donald Trump, has continued for months without charges or significant progress. The Republican representative denounced it as politically motivated. Read more from Eric Garcia at the Independent about this key Trump ally’s win:
Trump aide Matt Gage wins Florida primary despite sex-trafficking investigation
The three-term Republican from Florida is one of Trump’s biggest defenders and fended off a challenge from his right John Bowden24 August 2022 05:30 1661313965
More than 700 pages of classified files found at Mar-a-Lago, new letter reveals
The US National Archives discovered more than 700 pages of classified documents at Donald Trump’s Florida home, in addition to material seized by FBI agents this month, according to a newly disclosed letter to the former president’s lawyer. The large amount of classified material in 15 boxes recovered in January by the National Archives and Records Administration, some classified as “top secret,” provides more information about what led to the FBI’s court-authorized Aug. 8 search of the residence of Mr. .Trump in Mar. -a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. The May 10 letter was sent by Acting US Archivist Debra Steidel Wall to Mr Trump’s lawyer Evan Corcoran. It was released late Monday by John Solomon, a conservative journalist whom Trump authorized in June to access his presidential archives. The National Archives posted a copy on their website yesterday. The agency is responsible for maintaining government records. Stuti Mishra24 August 2022 05:06 1661311856
Leaks, lies and a locked door: Jared Kushner’s book reveals his hatred of Steve Bannon
Former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law rekindles his feud with Steve Bannon in his new book, Breaking History. Jared Kushner famously clashed with the former Breitbart chief before the latter was ousted from the White House in the summer of 2017. Read more in The Independent by John Bowden:
Jared Kushner’s book reveals his hatred of Steve Bannon
Fibrand Bannon left the White House in the first days of the Trump presidency John Bowden24 August 2022 04:30 1661308256
Rep. Marco Rubio begs Fox News for money as Val Demings overtakes him in Senate race
Marco Rubio appeared on Fox News this week in the wake of a poll showing him trailing his Democratic challenger, while donations to Val Demings continue to fall. The GOP senator was one of several Republicans who strongly opposed Donald Trump in 2016 before coming to terms with his dominance of the party over the next four-plus years. Read more from Abe Asher of the Independent:
Marco Rubio begs for money as Val Demings overtakes him in Senate race
The senator from Florida is sounding the alarm about the state of his campaign John Bowden August 24, 2022 3:30 am 1661304779
Vocal Trump loyalist Laura Loomer was defeated in the Florida primary
Far-right activist Laura Loomer, famous for chaining herself to the door of Twitter’s headquarters to protest her ban from the company’s platform, was narrowly defeated Tuesday in the race to represent Florida’s 11th congressional district. Ms. Loomer rallied online far-right communities to support her campaign in the heavily Republican district that includes the Villages, but was defeated by Rep. Daniel Webster, the district’s incumbent. In a speech Tuesday afternoon after the fight was announced, she vowed to fight and made unsubstantiated allegations of fraud. Read more from Eric Garcia at The Independent:
Far-right extremist Laura Loomer loses GOP congressional primary in Florida
Laura Loomer, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump who has previously been banned from Twitter for Islamophobic comments, lost her first challenge to a Republican congressman in Florida on Tuesday afternoon. John Bowden24 August 2022 02:32 1661301546
Five things to watch for in the Florida and New York primaries
Important primary races are decided tonight in two of the nation’s largest states. In Florida, two Democrats are vying for the chance to challenge Republican incumbent Gov. Ron DeSandis, whom Democrats hope to oust or at least weaken as he weighs the 2024 White House race. The New York primary is much more chaotic. Earlier this year, Democrats in the state legislature tried to draft a smarter map, but the state Supreme Court struck down the map.
Five things to watch for in the Florida and New York primaries
Democrats choose who will face Ron DeSandis in November, special elections test Republican momentum and several intensely personal primaries dominate Tuesday’s election landscape John Bowden24 August 2022 01:39 1661296556
Donald Trump and GOP continue to deny Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot – even after two others found guilty
Donald Trump continues to spread conspiracy theories about the men accused of plotting to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, even as two more men were found guilty by a jury this week. She previously referred to the plot as a “phony deal” during a speech to her supporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). In a new post on Truth Social, he again suggests that the crime was actually a “sting” set up by the FBI. Read more from The Independent’s Josh Marcus:
Trump continues to cast doubt on Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot, even after two found guilty
Former president and GOP members say conspiracy somehow shows FBI bias John Bowden24 August 2022 00:15 1661293820
What Happens After Documents Seized From Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Home?
Documents obtained by FBI agents under a search warrant from Mar-a-Lago earlier this month will now be reviewed by the Justice Department’s so-called “filter team.” It is a timely but necessary procedure used to protect the rights of the accused during the investigative process. The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg explores what the next stages of one of the most important investigations in US history will look like:
What Happens After Documents Seized From Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Home?
Justice Department ‘filter team’ tasked with reviewing records hard at work since Mar-a-Lago raid John Bowden August 23, 2022 11:30 pm 1661292020
Gisele Fetterman responds to the Oz campaign
Giselle Fetterman, wife of Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, fired back Tuesday, shortly after an Oz campaign spokesman made a snide remark about her husband’s recent stroke. In a tweet, she called the statement “grotesque” and told her followers that “decency” was at stake in her husband’s race against Donald Trump-backed Dr. Mehmet Oz. Read more from the Independent’s Eric Garcia:
Oz campaign: Fetterman wouldn’t have a stroke if he ‘ever ate a vegetable’
The remarks are the latest rants in the intensely personal Pennsylvania Senate race. John Bowden August 23, 2022 11:00 pm
