#robert birchum

[tomorrowusa]

Most things in life, and especially a basic respect for democracy and the rule of law, have to be cultivated. What is striking about the Republican Party is the extent to which it has, for decades now, cultivated the opposite — a highly instrumental view of our political system, in which rules and laws are legitimate only insofar as they allow for the acquisition and concentration of power in Republican hands.

Most Republicans won’t condemn Trump. There are his millions of ultra-loyal voters, yes. And there are the challenges associated with breaking from the consensus of your political party, yes. But there is also the reality that Trump is the apotheosis of a propensity for lawlessness within the Republican Party. He is what the party and its most prominent figures have been building toward for nearly half a century. I think he knows it and I think they do too.

– Jamelle Bouie at the New York Times on how Donald Trump is likely the natural result of the drift to lawlessness by the GOP over the past half century.

The narcissistic infantile Trump claims that he's being persecuted and has been singled out for political reasons. But if anything, prosecutors have been exceptionally careful about this investigation because of Trump's political standing.

Jamelle Bouie's NYT colleague David Leonhardt describes what happened to three people charged with the same sort of crimes that got Trump indicted.

And of course there the still-pending case of Jack Teixeira.

Trump not only knowingly shipped loads of classified documents, including nuclear secrets, to his home but he apparently used them to show off to his buddies – like Teixeira.

All Republicans can do is prattle false equivalences about Hillary's email server or equate Joe Biden's and Mike Pence's accidental retention of a handful of papers after their vice presidential terms were over.

Many Republicans seem to feel that they should be exempt from the law for life just because they're Republicans.

The GOP cannot call itself the "party of law and order" if they themselves refuse to obey the law.

[whereareroo]

EQUAL JUSTICE FOR ALL

WF THOUGHTS (6/12/23).

Tomorrow--June 13th--all eyes will be glued to Donald Trump. A few days ago, for the second time in three months, he was criminally indicted. This time, he's facing the music in federal court. Tomorrow, he will booked as a federal defendant and he'll appear in court for the formal reading of the charges against him. Of course, he'll plead "not guilty" to everything.

There's a ton of misinformation out there regarding the specific charges against Trump. Let me give you the truth.

If for some reason you're in posession of government documents relating to America's national security, and you receive an official request demanding the return of the documents, you are required to return the documents to the federal government. It's a federal crime to "willfully retain" such documents after the government has made a request. Trump wrongfully took hundreds of classified documents from the White House, and after being asked to return them he only returned a few. Some of the documents--31of them--were particularly sensitive. The first 31 counts against Trump relate to his unlawful retention of those documents after he was asked to return them. It's that simple.

As we all know from Watergate and various Mafia prosecutions, it's also a crime to "cover up" criminal activity. The remaining six counts against Trump relate to crimes that he committed in connection with the cover up. He obstructed justice, concealed documents, withheld information, impeded an investigation, and made false statements. This is routine criminal behavior.

The charges against Trump are not unusual. Hundreds of people have gone to jail for wrongfully retaining classified documents. Thousands of people have gone to jail for participating in the cover up of a crime.

Instead of thinking about Trump tomorrow, I think that everybody should be thinking about another Florida resident--Robert Birchum. He lives in Tampa, not that far from Trump. After almost 30 years in the Air Force, Birchum was investigated for wrongfully retaining classified documents at his home. The documents were far less consequential than the documents wrongfully retained by Trump. Unlike Trump, Birchum admitted his wrongdoing and he plead guilty. On June 1st, only a few days ago, he was sentenced. He's going to prison for three years.

The prosecutors had asked for a sentence of six years. Birchum's lawyers asked for probation. Despite his years of service to America, the Judge was not very impressed with Mr. Birchum. She complained that he had wrongfully retained the documents out of "hubris." She said: "You did it because you could do it." She was troubled by his lack of remorse. There was no evidence that Birchum had disclosed any of the documents. At the sentencing, the Judge noted that Birchum didn't have a plan to do anything with the documents. Nonetheless, the Judge concluded that a significant period of incarceration was warranted to demonstrate that there are serious consequences for the mishandling of classified information.

Over the past few days, Trump has been claiming that he's the victim of a political witchhunt and that "nobody gets prosecuted for these things." Maybe he should look into Birchum's recent experience in Florida. Don't the Judge's comments remind you of Trump? I bet that the Judge in Miami will be very aware of the recent case inTampa.

If Birchum is going to jail, shouldn't Trump go to jail too?

[alaturkanews]

In Earlier Espionage Act Cases, Warning Signs for Trump

Like former President Donald J. Trump, Lt. Col. Robert Birchum was accused in Florida of mishandling classified documents. Like the former president, he was charged with violating the Espionage Act. But unlike Mr. Trump, Mr. Birchum, 55, a highly decorated Air Force intelligence officer, took full responsibility. His lawyer said he expressed “true remorse.” He even cooperated with investigators,…

[insideusnet]

Retired Air Force officer set to plead guilty to storing classified information at his Florida home | CNN Politics : Inside US

CNN  —  A retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who stored files with classified information at his Florida home is set to plead guilty in February to one count of unlawful retention of national defense information, according to court documents. The defendant, Robert Birchum, served in the Air Force for more than 30 years and previously held top secret clearance. According to his plea agreement,…