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Trump signed the National Security Act into law in 2018.
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The bill strengthened penalties for those who mishandled classified information.
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The action is notable after the raid on Mar-a-Lago related to government documents.
A bill signed into law by former President Donald Trump in 2018 could be used to punish him if he is found to have mishandled classified information after leaving office.
FBI agents raided Trump on Monday The Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, as part of an investigation into allegations that Trump misplaced confidential documents after he resigned.
Bradley P. Moss, a national security attorney, told Insider that he could face five years in prison if convicted under the national security bill Trump signed into office as president. said to have sex.
The bill, which changed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), was signed into law by President Trump in January 2018.
Increased the severity of mismoving classified material, changed it from a misdemeanor to a felony, and increased the maximum sentence from one to five years.
Moss said the bill passed after Trump’s relentless attack on Hillary Clinton for allegedly mishandling classified information in the 2016 presidential election.
But now it is Trump who is under pressure.
“Considering that the classified documents were moved from his room in the White House to Marlago, it is certain that Trump is legally exposed to Section 1924,” Moss said.
in a tweet on Tuesday After the FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, Democratic Senator Jeff Yarbro, a Tennessee attorney, said Trump signed the bill.
February National Archives and Records Administration He said classified material was found in a box of things brought to Mar-a-Lago from the White House when he left office.
Legal Analyst Glenn Kirchner At the time, appearing to refer to legislation Trump tightened in 2018, the former president told MSNBC that he faces a potential “five-year felony.”
At that time, very little attention was paid to countermeasures against classified information. centered on the news The bill includes broad oversight powers updates.
According to analysis by Moss and other analysts On the Just Security blog, This is one of many laws Trump could have violated if he were found to have mishandled classified material.
Moss said there were some questions about whether the bill Trump signed into law could be used to prosecute Trump.
Trump has said he fully cooperated with the National Archives’ request, characterized the raid as politically motivated and vehemently denied any wrongdoing in connection.
His aide, Kash Patel, told Breitbart Trump declassified the material before stepping down, under the president’s broad authority to decide what should be kept secret.
Moss said that “he tried to declassify the records before Trump resigned” is another important factor that could affect whether the measure can be used to prosecute Trump. Said it was a problem.
Trump’s office did not immediately respond to an insider’s request for comment.
Read the original article at business insider