We learned Friday that multiple sources had confirmed to CNN that in the final hours of Donald Trump’s term as president, a 10-inch thick binder of unredacted classified U.S. intelligence on Russia went missing. As far as anyone knows, the highly sensitive material is still in the wind. The intelligence community considered the loss significant enough that, a year later, intelligence officials felt it necessary to brief leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee on the potential compromise.
The mystery around the binder’s whereabouts is another reminder of the Trump administration’s dangerous disregard for national security.
The mystery around the binder’s whereabouts is yet another reminder of the Trump administration’s dangerous disregard for national security and of the ongoing lack of accountability for the former president’s mishandling of classified documents. The scandal also foretells what we can expect if Trump gets elected.
Trump remains a clear and present danger to the security of our nation for a host of reasons, including his track record on safeguarding America’s secrets. During his tenure, Trump revealed classified data to two top Russian officials visiting the White House. He ignored repeated admonitions to stop using personal, unsecure cellphones that could be easily intercepted by our adversaries. Most infamously, Trump squirreled away over 300 highly classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort where members and their guests attended all manner of events.
Now comes news of the missing binder, described as containing “raw” and “unredacted” classified reporting about Russia, including how that country attempted to interfere in the 2016 presidential election between Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump ordered the declassification of the intelligence used to justify the FBI opening its Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Russia’s attempt to help Trump win the election. The binder reportedly…
Read the full article here