(Daily Mail) Donald Trump was repeatedly advised by his lawyers over the course of over two years to return classified documents to the authorities – but stubbornly refused, according to a new report.
His attorney Christopher Kise, who represented Trump in court on Tuesday when he was arraigned on 37 federal charges related to his retention of classified documents, tried to persuade Trump to settle in the fall of 2022, The Washington Post reported.
Kise told others he wanted to ‘take the temperature down’ and speak directly to the attorney general, Merrick Garland – promising him a professional and swift return of the files.
But Trump was persuaded by other allies such as Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton and adviser Boris Epshteyn to fight efforts to reclaim the papers.
Kise never approached Garland, and shortly after, special counsel Jack Smith was appointed to investigate the saga.
‘It was a totally unforced error,’ a source close to Trump told the Post. ‘We didn’t have to be here.’
Christopher Kise, one of Donald Trump’s attorneys, suggested in the fall of 2022 that he approach the Justice Department to discuss settling the classified documents case – but Trump refused to hand the papers over
Donald Trump was advised for over two years by his lawyers to hand the documents back, but refused
The National Archives and Records Administration soon discovered after Trump left the White House in January 2021, he had taken presidential papers with him, and requested they be returned.
Gary Stern, counsel at the National Archives, asked the former president’s team for the return of documents.
In the spring of 2021, some of Trump’s lawyers and advisers began recommending he hand the documents over, the Washington Post reported.
By the fall of 2021, Alex Cannon, who at the time was a Trump lawyer, told his client he needed to give them back, and warned that archives was threatening to go to Congress or the Justice Department if he did not return them.
He eventually returned 15 boxes of materials to the National Archives, in January 2022.
Yet more remained, and Trump was angered by repeated attempts to get him to hand over the rest.
Seven with knowledge of the probe indicate he misled his own advisers, telling them the boxes contained only newspaper clippings and clothes.
In April 2022, he was issued with a subpoena to force him to return them, and his new attorney, Evan Corcoran, told him he had to comply.
Alex Cannon, a former Trump lawyer, told the businessman in the fall of 2021 he needed to hand the documents over, and warned that the national archives was threatening to go to Congress or the Justice Department if he did not return them
Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, urged Trump to fight efforts to get him to hand over the documents, according to The Washington Post
Fitton and Epshteyn ultimately proved more influential and convinced Trump he could legally hold on to the documents.
Fitton told The Washington Post he felt the charges against Trump filed on Tuesday were ‘weak’, and a convincing case had not been made.
‘I think what is lacking is the lawyers saying, “I took this to be obstruction,”‘ said Fitton.
‘Where is the conspiracy? I don’t understand any of it. I think this is a trap.
‘They had no business asking for the records … and they’ve manufactured an obstruction charge out of that.
‘There are core constitutional issues that the indictment avoids, and the obstruction charge seems weak to me.’
Fitton said Trump’s lawyers ‘should have been more aggressive in fighting the subpoenas and fighting for Trump.’
Yet John Kelly, who served as Trump’s chief of staff, said the former president refused to hand over the documents out of arrogance.
‘He’s incapable of admitting wrongdoing,’ said Kelly.
‘He wanted to keep it, and he says, “You’re not going to tell me what to do. I’m the smartest guy in the room.”‘
Kelly, a four-star general in the Marines who served as Trump’s chief of staff from July 2017 to January 2019, said he felt Trump’s posturing after his indictment on Tuesday was to conceal his fear.
‘He’s scared s—less,’ said Kelly, speaking to The Washington Post.
‘This is the way he compensates for that. He gives people the appearance he doesn’t care by doing this.
‘For the first time in his life, it looks like he’s being held accountable. Up until this point in his life, it’s like, “I’m not going to pay you; take me to court.” He’s never been held accountable before.’
John Kelly served as Donald Trump’s chief of staff from 2017-19. He said the former president was ‘scared s***less’ about possibly going to prison
Kelly, a four star Marine general, has said he took the job of chief of staff out of a sense of duty to his country, but has since been outspoken about Trump’s unsuitability for the presidency
Trump, immediately after his indictment, surrounded himself with adoring fans at a Cuban restaurant in Little Havana
Trump on Tuesday was determined to project confidence and show his supporters he was being wrongfully charged.
His team posted on social media a clip of the Will Smith song with the lyrics ‘Welcome to Miami’ as he arrived at court, and after the appearance, he stopped by a Cuban restaurant in Little Havana, where he was mobbed by fans. In the evening, he delivered a defiant speech to a crowd of supporters at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club – and raised more than $2 million in donations from those who paid to attend.
They were fed Trump favorites including burgers and crab cakes, and served wine and cocktails.
The initial invitation had teased special Congressional guests, but only AlabamaSenator Tommy Tuberville made it to New Jersey, as there were votes Tuesday night.
‘It’s part public relations and part babysitting,’ said Stephanie Grisham, one of Trump’s former White House press secretaries.
