In a lengthy new leak to ABC News about the lead-up to the August 2022 FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith’s team lay out much more of their evidence demonstrating convicted felon former President Trump’s consciousness of guilt in possessing classified documents stolen from the White House following his humiliating defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 election, a leak pretty obviously timed to undermine the authority of MAGA federal judge Aileen Cannon as she continues to purposely stall the case to Trump’s advantage politically.
The leak, centered on lawyer Evan Corcoran’s notes, show a former president who was convinced he was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t return the stolen material, with Corcoran writing “He raised a question as to, if we gave them additional documents now, would they, would they, the Department of Justice, come back and say well, why did you withhold them and try to use that as a basis for criminal liability or to make him look bad in the press,” in notes memorializing a May 2022 meeting about the subpoena for their return. “Well look isn’t it better if there are no documents?” Trump also asked his lawyers after raising concerns about the DOJ “opening up new fronts.”
“Look, you know, I have ten different actions against me. They are trying to get me. They’re going after me. These people are ruthless,” Trump told Corcoran as if it mattered. “I’ve done all these great things for the country. I improved the economy, I lowered taxes, I did this, I did that, built the wall.”
When he had to adjourn the meeting to do some interviews, Trump told Corcoran and another lawyer, Jennifer Little, to “take a walk along the beach” and that “maybe… sparks will fly,” since both were single. This again was when they were trying to talk him into complying with a subpoena.