More than six million dollars. This is the amount Donald Trump collected in the nine days following the announcement that prosecutor Jack Smith was indicting him for taking and refusing to return Top Secret documents.
The former president has made a propaganda argument out of his alleged criminal activity. His defense consists of a vengeful rhetorical response against his successor in the White House, whom he blames, without any evidence, for wanting to put his greatest rival in prison in the 2024 elections.
In reality, Trump has bet everything or nothing on the classified documents file. He has gone into the confrontation as a campaign resource. The Washington Post revealed this week that one of his lawyers, Christopher Kise, had a discreet approach to the Department of Justice to negotiate. The lawyer established this contact with the aim of reaching an agreement and avoiding charges being filed. Kise promised professional treatment of the matter to return the withheld secret papers.
Trump, however, had no interest in hearing that option and, after receiving the advice of other advisers, took a position described as more pugilistic. He wanted a fight for possible political gain.
In this way, he has gotten into a fight that can be very expensive, even in terms of paying with jail.
The indictment document details 31 classified documents that the former president had in his possession, in his Mar-a-Lago mansion. They are related to the nuclear and military capabilities of the United States and allied countries, as well as information on US defense, including plans for a potential attack on Iran.
In a comparison, and as his fate is played on the wheel of justice (he was the owner of failed casinos), Trump, who turned 77 this week, may end his days locked up.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Birchun, 55, a decorated member of Air Force intelligence, was charged in Florida with misusing documents. They charged him with violating the same espionage law that Trump is accused of (31 charges). Birchun accepted the blame for him. His lawyers expressed “true remorse” in reaching an agreement.
“Only” he got three years in prison thanks to his collaboration. This does not work for the former president, who in the event of a conviction at trial, could face up to ten years for each of those 31 charges. He has six other charges for obstruction of justice and misrepresentation.
Lawyers maintain that, when prosecutors resort to this criminal type of refusing to return secret documents, it means that they consider the matter to be very serious and practically always pursue prison sentences.
Since 2018 there have been a dozen cases for withholding national defense documents, according to the Justice Department. They usually end with long prison sentences.
Harold Martin and Nghia Hoang Pho, former National Security Agency analysts, were given nine and five and a half years in captivity. Jeremy Brown, who was a sergeant in the special forces, got seven years. Among others.
Who knows if Donald Trump will appear on the list of prisoners: President of the United States, convicted of espionage.
